A Blessing A Prophet‏ E-mail July 25, 2011

Well another week has gone by and what a wonderfully boring week. On Tuesday night my companion received a very bad case of the stomach flu and it wasn't pretty, at about 2 in the morning he woke me up drenched in his own vomit (I was trying to stay awake with him but I failed epically) and he asked me for a blessing. What a neat experience that was (probably not for him) he was so scared the only thing he wanted was to get a blessing; the hospital was not even an option until after the blessing. Elder McKee wasn't healed automatically, he didn't even sleep that night, but he knew that someone who held the Lord's Priesthood had just laid his hands upon his head and that same God loves him very much.  He knows him even to the point that when I laid my hands upon his head they were His words; not mine, He told Elder McKee not to fear that He loved him not me.

 

It's interesting to tell people we have a Prophet on the Earth today and that he speaks for God. Even we sometimes wonder how is that possible. The blessing the other night showed me how it is. How the Lord through the Holy Ghost leads and Directs us. Sometimes I feel lost about what to do, concerned I've done something horribly wrong, when in fact as long as I stay worthy of the Spirit it will guide me.

 

We began teaching a new investigator last week, his name is Chris Mattson. His wife so dearly wants him to be baptized, but does he want it?  He knows what he'll have to give up. Family, money, and his alcohol. Why in the Earth would he want to do that, why would the Lord ask for so much? Here's a better question: Why wouldn't He? He loves us. He makes commandments for us to learn and grow. If it wasn't this way, what would we learn, how would we ever believe that we could possibly do enough.

 

I send my love, I'm sorry mom, I received the address but left it at the house. Sorry. You will also miss my talk in church this upcoming Sunday -  On how we gain and keep a Testimony. Also, I have a baptism that day wow will my day be packed!!!

 

I love you!!

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

One Whole Year! E-mail July 17, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Well mom, sorry I don't know my address right off hand but I will get it to you next Monday. So it's been quite an interesting week I now cover two wards Palm Desert and Park View Wards we have a 2010 Toyota Corolla and my comp is from Canada. As you might have guessed the word "eh" is used a lot in our companionship, he says it a lot!!!!  But he is a great companion.

I think we may need to say it's not quite as hot where you are at, compared to here,  because it is on average 115 degrees here. That's hot!!! Well it seems strange to look back and realize its been a year. I think back and it doesn't seem that long at all. I have recently been placed in the old guys list and it's weird knowing that I am pretty prepared now I'm not excellent with being a missionary but I am at least decent now.

So this week has been interesting and to top it all off we had an angry Stake President all over us. Let me tell you what I mean.  On Tuesday we received a call from Elder Alexander (our DL) saying that the Stake President wanted him to teach one of his friends and not us, because the Elder here before me did a horrible job and Alexander told the Stake President that I was here now so she (the investigator) was in good hands. Which kinda embarrassed me. I don't have that much faith in me, so I don't know why he does. So the Stake President did not enjoy that answer too much; so he decided to call President Smart and ask him and President Smart said the same thing (yet again I don't know where they get their faith) well Sunday came by and the Stake Presidents wife called to set us up on an appointment with the lady so we could teach her. We got there  and taught an amazing lesson; the Spirit filled the room and guided us to teach her the things she needed. BAM!!!! Faith Works!

It has been a tough year, there were lots of happy times and a lot of sad, but this experience has taught me so much about myself, I would wish everyone could do this. I am excited for the year I have left with all the trials and the blessings to come, as Nephi once said "I will GO AND DO the things which the Lord has COMMANDED for I know the Lord GIVES NO COMMANDMENT which MAN CANNOT FULFILL!" Tribulation bringeth blessing and we will continue till victory rages and the foes are defeated we are all missionaries, all members of Gods Army , and we will bring forth the truth to the entire world. And we will do it Boldly, nobly, and independent! whether it be here in California, or there in Kentucky, or even Kiev, Ukraine (congrats Meaghan!!!!!!)  as Yoda once said may the force be with you (that force is the spirit!!!) I love you all.  I miss you all and I'll see you in a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,


Elder Zachary David Daniel

Schrage Email - July 11, 2011

Conner grad's family stunned after accidental death

Andrew Schrage / PROVIDED

RABBIT HASH - In his 22 years, Andrew Schrage lived a fuller life than many people decades older, friends and family said.
"Andrew was a very passionate person," said his long-time pastor, Rev. Trish Standifur of Bullittsville Christian Church. "As a high school kid, he would ask me, 'Could you help this person or pray for so and so?' He was passionate about everything, whether it was cars or hunting. But most of all, he loved his family dearly."
Some people take a lifetime to find their soul mate, Standifur said. But Andrew, who was in his senior year at the Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville, met his one and only girlfriend - Jessica Leick of Burlington - while both were in marching band at Conner High School.
"A lot of people spend a lifetime searching for their soul mate, but Andrew found his at a very young age," Standifur said. "He lived a lot of life in a very short time."

Andrew Schrage, whose father, Bob, retired last year as assistant director of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, died Wednesday evening in a freak accident at the Louisville home that the 2007 Conner High School graduate was renting with several other college students.

Andrew Schrage was working to ground the wires of his detached garage when his girlfriend witnessed him grab a wire and then become unresponsive, said Jo-Ann Farmer, chief deputy Jefferson County coroner. His death was ruled an electrocution.

"It's just so tough," Andrew's father said Thursday, as friends and family gathered at the Rabbit Hash home where Andrew grew up. "He was such a great kid with a great future ahead of him."

From an early age, Andrew enjoyed tinkering with mechanical things.
As a youngster, he watched as his grandfather changed the oil or the windshield wiper fluid on his car. By age 14, Andrew was changing the brakes on the family car, his father said. While in high school, he put down hardwood floors in his room.
"One time, we told him, it would be really neat to have a deck up in the woods," his father said. "That afternoon, he built this beautiful two-tiered deck."
Andrew Schrage enjoyed hunting, fishing, and hiking, especially at Red River Gorge.
Last month, he took part in an international competition at the Michigan Motor Speedway for engineering students who build and race cars.
Recently, Andrew's father had purchased a classic 1951 Buick Super Dynaflow that the father and son were restoring.
"He loved anything mechanical," Bob Schrage said. "Andrew could fix anything inside or outside the house."
Andrew, who was active in his church's youth group, also was quick to volunteer if something was broken at his church.
The engineering student had one more semester of school to go before he planned to start on his master's degree. When he wasn't in school, Andrew was doing a coop at Rapid Prototype Center in Louisville.
"As his pastor, I was lucky enough to watch Andrew grow up," Standifur said. "If you had an employee, he's the worker you'd want. If you had a kid, he's the son you'd want. He was an amazing youth."
Besides his father, Andrew is survived by his mother, Ann; his brother, Ethan, a Northern Kentucky University student who's living at home; his grandparents, Andrew and Dorothy Coyle of Florence; and many aunts and uncles.
Visitation will be 3-7 p.m. Sunday, July 10, at Stith Funeral Home in Hebron. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday at Bullittsville Christian Church, 3094 Petersburg Road, in Burlington.
A memorial scholarship fund is being set up in Andrew Schrage's name through PNC Bank.
The Courier-Journal contributed.


Dear Friends,

It's sad to hear about Schrage.  I will always remember riding in his truck listening to Meatloaf. It's sad to hear about his unusual passing, but it does not surprise me that he passed young because it seems that God does that sometimes. What I mean to say is those choice spirits; the people who truly care and are truly talented  sometimes die young.  We sometimes question why, when  we don't need to as members of this church.  We do know where Schrage is.  I could spend an entire day writing the things that make Schrage great but it truly only takes a few words. When you truly care like Schrage did, you effect the whole world.  You will be deeply missed!

Elder Zachary David Daniel

Palm Desert‏ E-mail July 11, 2011

Well Transfer Time!!!

I'm going to the desert. I know unbelievable! It averages almost 110 degrees so it's a furnace.  I have not yet  met my companion, Elder McKee, all I know is he's Canadian. So after almost 9 months I will have a car again.  I'm so excited :)!!  Well,  that's all the news I really have.  I will tell you more info next week when I have it.

 

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

A GOOD WEEK! E-mail - July 4, 2011

It was a good week and nothing really happened. It was really hot 108, and Elder Judd cried, (just joking) but he cannot tolerate the heat! 

I climbed Big Mountain today and I yelled with joy from the top of it which completed another task on my bucket list!

Don't have much time today.

Love,
Elder Zachary David Daniel

Bucket List‏ E-mail - June 27, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Another week has gone by and more experiences to put towards my learning. Well, you might have guessed what this E-mail is about. Yes, I made a bucket list. I know what some of you are thinking and no I'm not  "kicking the bucket";  it's just something we were all doing, so I thought  I would share it with you.  I know some of these things may seem, not fun, (and sorry if I offend anyone) I hope you enjoy!!!

 

BUCKET LIST

50.build a tree house

49.stay up all night and gaze at the stars with someone

48.Fly in a fighter jet

47. go to every theme park in us

46. find midget town

45.spend summer in Italy

44.meet Queen of England

43.tell someone how i truly feel about them to their face

42.explore caves

41.COMPLETED

40.sail around world

39.build pirate ship

38.blow something up

37.wrestle a bear

36.start a restaurant

35.go to running of bulls in Spain

34.learn another language

33.play with a penguin

32.climb Mt. Everest

31.shout with joy from a mountain top

30.go to NFL game

29.restore a car

28.milk a cow

27.visit Willy Wonka factory

26.meet the Prophet

25.try out for MOTAB

24.play with a dolphin

23.cliff dive

22. scuba dive

21.take week long vow of silence

20.tour through Europe

19.learn to play guitar

18.watch sunset with someone

17.start a company

16.be in a movie

15.write a novel

14.ride a bull

13.throw super awesome party

12.get own apartment

11.live in NYC

10.date someone at least 7 years older than me

9. go bungee jumping

8.COMPLETED

7.sky dive

6.learn graffiti

5.interview President of U.S.

4. go on date with Ali

3.go to college

2.be sealed in temple

1.return with honor from my mission
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

p.s. Pres. Smart comes Friday so we might see him then!

 

PPS  What does your bucket list look like???????

237.............. E-mail - June 20, 2011

You all may be wondering why 237???  That my friends is a great question!!

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

HAPPY LATE FATHERS DAY!!!!!!

 

That is for all the fathers out there. Well, another week and now I have been out 11 months isn't that weird almost a year me.  Elder Judd and I were just thinking about it and how weird this time next year I'll be getting ready to fly home, but that's not important. Let's talk about the pictures.... . I just got kicked off and have to retype over half my Email stupid computers. 

 

So, we just put someone on date for baptism its really sweet. His name is Kevin and we recently started teaching him we invited him a few weeks ago. He took off of work and decided to go into the woods all day and pray.   He received his answer that the church is true; so we set his baptism date for the 31st of July so his entire family can be there (all members).  We are super excited. We have another investigator Sis. Sauvao who we invited to fast and pray and we are going to see how well that went.

 

Well that's about all the info I have for this week, but I love you all and stay safe!!

Elder Daniel

 

 

PS...  237 is the number of emails in my inbox.  :}

Roses Are Red.... Happy Fathers Day.... John! June 19, 2011

Here's to you, John!

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
You're always writing poems
So I thought I'd write one to you.

It's been so many long years
Since we've been father and son
with all the laughs and the tears
Trust me, there has been a ton!

Now I finally see
now much you care
You'd even wrestle
a big grumpy bear!

Now lets stop poking fun
and get to the sum
It's been a fun rhyme
but now is the time
to tell you how much I care
Thanks for always being there!

Love,

Zach

Thought This Might Brighten Your Day‏! E-mail - June 13, 2011

"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse. (Apr 2007 Gen Conf)"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"You are doing God's work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you, and He will bless you, --even--no, -especially--when your days and your nights may be most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master's garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and weep over their responsibility as mothers, `Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' And it will make your children whole as well."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"If we constantly focus only on the stones in our mortal path, we will
almost surely miss the beautiful flower or cool stream provided by the
loving Father who outlined our journey. Each day can bring more joy
than sorrow when our mortal and spiritual eyes are open to God's
goodness. Joy in the gospel is not something that begins only in the
next life. It is our privilege now, this very day. We must never allow
our burdens to obscure our blessings. There will always be more
blessings than burdens--even if some days it doesn't seem so. Jesus
said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly." Enjoy those blessings right now. They are yours and
always will be."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived. (The Inconvenient Messiah, BYU Speeches, Feb 15, 1982)"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.

God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"Not everything in life is so black and white, but the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its keystone role in our religion seem to be exactly that. Either Joseph Smith was the prophet he said he was, a prophet who, after seeing the Father and the Son, later beheld the angel Moroni, repeatedly heard counsel from Moroni's lips, and eventually received at his hands a set of ancient gold plates that he then translated by the gift and power of God, or else he did not. And if he did not, he would not be entitled to the reputation of New England folk hero or well-meaning young man or writer of remarkable fiction. No, nor would he be entitled to be considered a great teacher, a quintessential American religious leader, or the creator of great devotional literature. If he had lied about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, he would certainly be none of these...

If Joseph Smith did not translate the Book of Mormon as a work of ancient origin, then I would move heaven and earth to meet the "real" nineteenth-century author. After one hundred and fifty years, no one can come up with a credible alternative candidate, but if the book were false, surely there must be someone willing to step forward-if no one else, at least the descendants of the "real" author-claiming credit for such a remarkable document and all that has transpired in its wake. After all, a writer that can move millions can make millions. Shouldn't someone have come forth then or now to cashier the whole phenomenon? "
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

When life is hard, remember - we are not the first to ask, 'Is there no other way?"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"In this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as he always has. But he can't if you don't pray, and he can't if you don't dream. In short, he can't if you don't believe."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"Don't do anything stupid."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"My own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, "No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgement bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"To you who think you are lost or without hope, or who think you have done too much that was too wrong for too long, to every one of you who worry that you are stranded somewhere on the wintry plains of life and have wrecked your handcart in the process, we call out "Jehovah's unrelenting refrain, "My hand is stretched out still" (Isaiah 5:25: 9:17,21). "...His mercy endureth forever, and His hand is stretched out still. His is the pure love of Christ, the charity that never faileth, that compassion which endures even when all other strength disappears"."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"Somebody like you taught somebody like me."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"And if those children are unresponsive, maybe you can't teach them yet, but you can love them. And if you love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"In that most burdensome moment of all human history, with blood appearing at every pore and an anguished cry upon His lips, Christ sought Him whom He had always sought—His Father. “Abba,” He cried, “Papa,” or from the lips of a younger child, “Daddy.”

This is such a personal moment it almost seems a sacrilege to cite it. A Son in unrelieved pain, a Father His only true source of strength, both of them staying the course, making it through the night—together."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"Love. Healing. Help. Hope. The power of Christ to counter all troubles in all times—including the end of times. That is the safe harbor God wants for us in personal or public days of despair. That is the message with which the Book of Mormon begins, and that is the message with which it ends, calling all to 'come unto Christ, and be perfected in him' (Moroni 10:32)."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"In a world of unrest and fear, political turmoil and moral drift, I testify that Jesus is the Christ—that He is the living Bread and living Water—still, yet, and always the great Shield of safety in our lives.
"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough
trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities... God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"The FUTURE of this world has long been DECLARED; the final outcome between GOOD and evil is already KNOWN. There is absolutely no question as to who WINS because the VICTORY has already been posted on the SCOREBOARD. The only really strange thing is all of this is that we are still down here on the FIELD trying to decide which TEAM’S JERSEY we want to wear!"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late. Some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in Good Things to Come."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"When the light dawns and it finally comes to you that this gospel really is true and the work matters and that God is not going to come down and do it Himself; we will realize that we are the only hands He has got, and that we are the only feet He has got. When somebody knocks on those doors, it is with our knuckles.
When we make contact on the street, it is our voice out there on that street corner. When we work with the less-active, Moroni and Mormon and Alma and Joseph Smith are not going to come down and go in that door and do that teaching;it is you and it is me. It is just people who get up, like we get up every morning and do the work of the Lord the way those men and their wives did it in the era and in their day and in their age, and in their time, but now it is our time.
When we come to know this, then we will get on with the work."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step-so watch your step."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"All but a prophetic few must go about God's work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways. And as you labor to know Him, and to know that He knows you; as you invest your time--and your convenience--in quiet, unassuming service, you will indeed find that "He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up" (Matthew 4:6)."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"I especially wish to praise and encourage young mothers. The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work... Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"On that very night, the night of the greatest suffering that has ever taken place in the world or that ever will take place, the Savior said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) I submit to you, that may be one of the Savior's commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed; and yet I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be any more grievous to the Lord's merciful heart."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak--or at least think--critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"God wants us to be stronger than we are--more fixed in our purpose, more certain of our commitments, eventually needing less coddling from Him, showing more willingness to shoulder some of the burden of His heavy load. In short, He wants us to be more like He is and, if you haven't noticed, some of us are not like that yet."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"If you are lonely, please know you can find comfort. If you are discouraged, please know you can find hope. If you are poor in spirit, please know you can be strengthened. If you feel you are broken, please know you can be mended."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Jesus has chosen, even in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side-signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect; signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn't love you; signs, if you will, that problems pass and happiness can be ours."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Fighting through darkness and despair and pleading for the light is what opened this dispensation. It is what keeps it going, and it is what will keep you going."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"If we want it, we can enjoy the joy of our fidelity to the highest and best that is within us."

--sat. afternoon 4/3/10 lds general conference"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"We are making our appearance on the stage of mortality in the greatest dispensation of the gospel ever given to mankind, and we need to make the most of it."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"I believe we have all been created for greater things than we can comprehend. The times call for great things, but great things in the noblest and most redemptive sense are predicted upon tolerance, love, respect, understanding, dignity, prayer, God."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself as you seek your way in life, I offer you "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Wherever else you think you may be going, I ask you to "come unto Him" as the imperative first step in getting there, in finding your individual happiness and strength and success."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"None of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us-- Insecurities, anxieties, poor self-image, and all. He doesn't measure our talents or our looks; He doesn't measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Everything in the gospel teaches us that we can change if we need to, that we can be helped if we truly want it, that we can be made whole, whatever the problems of the past."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Be a woman of Christ. Cherish your esteemed place in the sight of God. He needs you. This church needs you. The world needs you. A woman's abiding trust in God and unfailing devotion to things of the Spirit have always been an anchor when the wind and the waves of life were fiercest."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Your Father in heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"On this upward and sometimes hazardous journey, each of us meets our share of daily challenges. If we are not careful, as we peer through the narrow lens of self-interest, we may feel that life is bringing us more than our fair share of trials--that somehow others seem to be getting off more lightly.

But the tests of life are tailored for our own best interests, and all will face the burdens best suited to their own mortal experience. In the end we will realize that God is merciful as well as just and that all the rules are fair. We can be reassured that our challenges will be the ones we needed, and conquering them will bring blessings we could have received in no other way."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Think the best of each other, especially of those you say you love. Assume the good and doubt the bad."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Please know that your Father in Heaven loves you and so does His Only Begotten Son. When they speak to you--and They will--it will not be in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but it will be with a voice still and small, a voice tender and kind. It will be with the tongue of angels."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"Sometimes it seems especially difficult to submit to "great tribulation" when we look around and see others seemingly much less obedient who triumph even as we weep. But time is measured only unto man, says Alma (see Alma 40:8), and God has a very good memory."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

"For 179 years [The Book of Mormon] has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other religious history – perhaps like no other book in any religious history- and still it stands.”

Jeffrey R. Holland"
— Jeffrey R. Holland

 

"My concern is that you will face some delays and disappointments at this formative time in your life and feel that no one else in the history of mankind has ever had your problems or faced those difficulties. And when some of those challenges come, you will have the temptation common to us all to say, "This task is too hard. The burden is too heavy. The path is too long." And so you decide to quit, simply to give up. Now to terminate certain kinds of tasks is not only acceptable but often very wise. If you are, for example, a flagpole sitter then I say, "Come on down." But in life's most crucial and telling tasks, my plea is to stick with it, to persevere, to hang in and hang on, and to reap your reward."
— Jeffrey R. Holland (Created For Greater Things)

 

Goodbye President Reeves‏ E-Mail - June 13, 2011

The Mission is going well, nothing much new is going on. Elder Judd's mom sent us a "How To Learn Spanish" CD in the mail. We've been listening to it in our sleep, not learning that much from that method; still only know tid bits here and there.

 

The work is going real well; we have picked up a few new Investigators.  One of them, his name is Kevin is doing real well.  His family (wife and kids) have been active for the last twenty years. The entire Ward is excited that he's finally ready for the lessons.

 

We played a little volleyball and we're preparing for soccer.  It's starting to really heat up here Yesterday it hit 90 so we are getting into summer.  Elder Judd is not excited. He doesn't like the heat. I  guess that's how it is if you lived in ND all your life  (he's from Grand Forks)!  Yes, the place that I was born!

 

Pres and Sis Reeves are preparing to go home and we said are final goodbyes to them.  It was quite sad. We ended up singing God Be With You Till We Meet Again.  We have not yet met our new Mission President; Pres Smart; but I hear he is a nice guy.  Well,  I don't know what else to tell you, no other news really.

 

Much Love,

ZACH

 

Water War! E-Mail - June 6, 2011

Another week has passed here in Peris and nothing new or exciting has really happened. Although you might find this interesting, we received a new Zone Leader Elder Mena he is from Mexico and is hilarious. 

 

We had a lot of fun this week and had a water fight on P-day!  Nice way to cool off!

 

 

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

A Jdubb, A Biker Gang, And A Samoan BBQ‏ !!! E-mail - May 31, 2011

Hello Family and Friends,

I know what you're thinking, how the flip do those three things go together. Well, usually they don't, but this last week they all had an effect on Elder Daniel.  Our week was going as it normally does; we would go out and talk to people and such.  We decided one day to go tracting. While we were tracting we ran into a Jehovah Witness and he decided to try and bash (argue scriptures to see whose doctrine is more correct) with us. So he started arguing how man cannot receive revelations or have visions. Well, we stated that nowhere in the Bible does it state that visions will cease. It even tells us that.  It tells us that God is "the same yesterday, today, and forever"  Heb 13:8.  If people received visions before Christ's time and during his time, as in Paul, then we should be receiving revelations today.

This man and myself and my companion; did this for about three hours and I was a little upset because it wasted time, but the key thing I  learned from him is that he fought us but truly didn't know our doctrine. He had never in his life ever read the Book of Mormon and he told us he felt that he never would. We calmly stated that if he read it and truly wanted to know(that's the key) that God would tell him if he prayed about it.

So, we continued our week as normal. Nothing much else was happening, then as we were biking we noticed a biker gang having a little Rally so we thought we would stop by and talk to them. Lo and behold it was a born-again bike gang so the second we rode up about 7 people circled us and were ready for one large argument and instead of getting into another bash we decided to watch our words more carefully. We barely got out of a bash but I asked them, out of my amazing curiosity, if they had ever read the Book of Mormon and not a single one had! So we gave out about 13 Books of Mormon to all those who were interested in reading it!

Now you have probably figured out the correlation between the stories, but I've got one more before I get into the meat of it all.  We were invited to this Samoan barbecue, which by the way might be the best food ever made. The home we were going to was filled with members and I told them the story about the Jdubb in a little more detail and the group totally started to destroy the Jdubbs and say how bad they were and stuff like that.  So we asked them using that great curiosity, have you ever read their Bible? Of course no one had.

How sad that makes me feel,  that we never do this we decide to attack something or someone we do not know. How then can we do this? How do we judge someone for something we know nothing about? "And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgement which ye judge ye shall be judged." (Moroni 7:18).  I have learned a lot about judging this week. 

I wish you all well and that this E-mail finds you well. See you in 13 months!

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

p.s. I got the packages!