Almost Home! E-mail July 9, 2012

Most of  Elder Daniel's email is business related as he is preparing to come home in 15 days!   We are so excited and looking forward to his return! 

The Temple! E-mail - June 26, 2012

So I will actually get to send you a real email!!  This last week Alfredo called and asked me to be his escort in the temple.  It was really weird escorting someone through the Temple.  It reminded me of when John did it almost two years ago!!

 

I also had my outgoing interview with the Presidenrt it was pretty intense.  We talked about college and making goals for your life and such. We also talked about being released... PLEASE let me be released on Wednesday, if not John, we are going to be comps! President made me promise that Iwould continue to live mission rules that means you too!!!!

 

Don't have much else to say so I will  let you go.

 

Love you all!
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

God Bless The Long Road! E-mail June 18, 2012

Well it was an interesting week. We had a lot of trouble meeting with people. It's weird, it seems that people expect me to be trunkie, but its hard not to be.  I have my final interview with President tomorrow, it is super sad to know that I will be leaing soon. Some of my investigators cried earlier because I was leaving for good. It's sweet to hear Alfredo got his call, he really deserves it! I don't know if I ever told you his story...

Alfredo and I met back when I had been out for six months, back in Menifee. I was in Menifee Lake and he was in Perris and we didn't know each other super well, but we knew each other(he gave us lots of rides)! Then I got transferred to Temecula and he moved to the desert (unknown to me) so when I got to Perris I thought  I would see him... nope, so then I got transferred to the desert and we almost spent everyday together.  He was like having another Elder with us and  was also a way to deal with my companion.  Alfredo had a pretty sucky home life, so we stuck it out together! It's sweet that he is going on his mission, that has been his goal for the past while!  I am super proud of him!

My Bishop here asked me to speak my last week, so I will be speaking on how Heavenly Father has blessed the long road as a missionary.  It should be interesting, the Ward has been super nice as they keep pushing me to work my hardest these last few weeks. I have a baptism on Saturday so I know I'm working hard!

Well, I  don't know what else to say so I'm going to sign off!!!

Love you all!

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

A Long Week! E-mail - June 11, 2012

Well, it was transfers week and all the Elders had a party for me since
I'm on my death bed (its my last transfer)!  So begins the final countdown
6 weeks and no one is letting me forget it and I mean no one. The
Elder that is killing me (my last comp) is pretty cool. He is making a
list of what stuff everyone wants so I don't know how much stuff I will
have.  The guitar I  had is now Elder Mckees. I really don't know what else to say and I'm running out of time.  Sorry.
Did anyone get an email from Meaghan, because i didn't???!!!
--
Love,

Elder Zachary David Daniel

Coming To A Close! E-mail - June 4, 2012

Well as I look back on my week, I realized that the people in my ward are as trunkie as me. Not that that's bad, they are just super excited that I get to go home and see everyone.

We have a new Less-Active we are working with.  His name is Jayson and he has a clone of Jack only it's a girl!!!! Also went to the craziest Spanish Birthday Party, even in America the cultures are so different... when they hit the pinata everyone sings this Spanish song as loud as possible. Then after you sing happy B-day the person takes a bite out of the cake and someone pushes their face in the cake!  It was crazy!!!

So we played baseball today and I almost hit a home run so close...  I called the APS - mom - and see my other email for the details.

 

Much love,
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

E-mail - May 14, 2012

So it was great talking to everyone the Bishop thought John was
hilarious and then asked me if "he's always like that" I just sat there
and smiled. Just get gift cards to T. Bell and Pizza Hut. I love Pizza
Hut it is so amazing!!!
 
Well I hope everything is going good there...
 
About the teeth thing... we have a less active we visit in a trailer
park and whenever we go over she tells us how the government is messed
up and how we don't need health insurance or dental she always says 
"I have never been to a dentist my entire life and my teeth are

fine... they are not!!! The few she has left are black!!! It's super
gross. One day she gets into it. She is talking faster and faster and
I started scooting towards the other end of the couch and my comp is
sitting there trying to get involved in what she was saying.  Then
this spit comes flying out of her mouth and I can watch it floating
there in slow-mo just lobbing across the room and it nails my comp in
the eye and it takes every fiber of my being not to bust out
laughing... then she looks at him and says " honey I know our
government is a little bad, but it's no reason to cry. We went home and
my comp took a shower.
 
Well that's all I have time for. I love you and wish you the best.
 
-- 
Elder Zachary David Daniel

Another Week! E-mail -- May 7, 2012

 Well I'm in a car!!!! Hemet is really nice. We live in the nicest apartments in the whole city... that isn't really saying much though, we live by ourselves which is good but weird I haven't lived with just one other person in sooo long. We live about four miles outside of our area which kinda stinks we have to drive a little ways to get anywhere. I cover the "hick" area we have TONS of trailer parks and farms.

 

 About my letters to Meaghan did I not put your name on it?? I'm so confused, your address makes NO sense... I'm in Cali your gonna have to simplify things... and about skyping... I know where we are calling from and sometime after 2 o'clock my time so sometime around 5 o'clock your time.... now I don't know if I will actually be skyping or just calling; don't know if the member we will be going to has skype....  

 This week was interesting, we have a lot of people that wanted to meet me.. I don't know why but they freaked when they heard I was from Kentucky " We have never met a Kentuckian before!!!" so it was kinda cool. I went back to the desert, don't know if I ever told you about Chris Madson. He was one of my hardest investigators and he finally got baptized, it was sick. I spoke about baptism and didn't do horrible.

 

 So my birthday is coming up and I haven't really given it much thought... with me coming home soon I don't want you buying something big that will go to waste cuz I will only use it for a few months,maybe just hold off till I come home... 

 

 I don't know what else to say... I love you all, keep safe
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

The Hardest Thing Ive Ever Had To Do‏! E-mail - April 30, 2012

Well I was transferred to Hemet... no more Dl, no more leadership at all. My new comps name is Elder LeVan pretty shy but seems OK (I've only known him a few hours) this is going to be short because the library is closing and some guy is singing really loud super LOUD!!!

 

Well I have to say Highland was my favorite area and I'm really gonna miss it. It was soooo hard to say goodbye to some people, especially the Sisters and the Henches. It was one of the Best districts I was in. Well this is most likely my last area and it looks really promising and... he has started dancing!!!!!!!! Well the area is looking good I have only met one member though a Recent Convert he was baptized like a week ago I  mistakenly thought his mom was his wife so I didn't have the greatest first impression....

 

I also have not yet unpacked.  I just can't do it... for whatever reason I don't know... well the library closes in like 10 minutes so I'll get going.  Love you all and hope things are going well. 

 

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

PS The letters will not be sent back anymore it was the home share we were staying in.

13 Weeks! E-mail - April 23, 2012

Dear family,

 

Well first off mom, I  have no idea yet when I'm Skyping.  I  might get transferred this week (it looks high) so I'm waiting for transfer calls before I have all the info... my comp is fine we went to some doctors and they believe he is too stressed. I  wasn't surprised at all!!!! It has been difficult but there is only a week left. Elder Hench (one of the Senior missionaries) read my blog last week so if your reading this I'm going to be very careful with what I say...

 

We had interviews this last week and President and me had a really good one. We talked about the trunkiness thing and he gave me some good advice.

 

Well now, Meaghan a Senior comp, I remember when that responsibility fell on me.  It was about the same time as you when me and Fly whitewashed Redlands ahhh good memories... just remember this is your area you know it, even if you don't think you do. I can promise you that you do, don't let anything or anyone tell you  that you don't and don't  let it get you down. Work hard and it will get done. 

 

So other than that I don't know what else to say, it was a normal week. Well except for the fact that I never wanna ride a bike again.  Everyday I get more upset at that thing I don't even wanna look at it anymore... How am I gonna ship it home?? I have got to ship a lot of stuff home sooo I don't know how I'm going to do it.

BTW I  only have 13 weeks left, isn't that weird!!!

 

Well I hope all is good with you and Iwill talk to you next week... maybe somewhere new!!!!
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

E-mail -- April 16, 2012

Well Meaghan wants me to stop talking about going home. Well I have a couple interesting stories to tell about going home then I'm done!!!!!!!!!!! So sister Tanner in our ward was really excited to feed us on Monday only because her Sons Mission President had sent her his info about coming home.... he arrives a week before me...  so we read her letter together and it was like torture... then she calculated how many days I  have left that was even more sad... so I have decided I'm not telling people I have been out for 21 months anymore... I'm going to lie!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So I have been thinking about you picking me up and in the end  I just think it would be best for me to come without seeing you first... it's already becoming difficult for me to work with everyone talking about going home. Its just something I don't need and plus the longer you wait the happier you will be!!!

 

Well I spent the longest time in meetings on Friday, 8 hours and I  had to do the craziest practice session with Elder Alexander who just got unengaged don't ask how that happens, I  don't know. Then the next day I went to the ZL's place. They live in a mansion  and they sleep on queen sized temperpedic mattress's it is so nice, they also have their own workout room and an elevator to avoid the stairs... well it was a very interesting week to say the least.

 

.....  I have learned a lot about charity through this though.  Life is to short not to like someone or to hold bad feelings for people who have hurt you. In reality I  have changed so much in the past 21 months I'm not the same person I was before. The same things don't matter to me. I miss home but I would never go home early. I am sad. not for who I've become or that I'm away from home but because it took me so long to love someone because everyone is a child of god.

 

I love and miss you very much, but I'm on the Lords errand and I won't stop till all is done even in three months I won't be done for it won't be over not till all is said and done.

 

Love your son,

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

MY LIST! E-mail - April 9, 2012

I really don't know what to say...

umm...

I played softball today, oh, OK,  I know what to talk about.. whew that was scary.. so my comp was sick for about 5 days; complete and absolute boredom!! I truly sat around the apartment and did almost nothing. Things are not going the best in our companionship.  It's tough to be with someone like that so late in your mission and it's been difficult to deal with this last week. It made things a little tough especially since my district is all Sisters.  I can't even do an emergency exchange and work with someone else... but I have exchanges with the ZL's this week and I'm going to their mansion!!! It's gonna be sick!!!! Plus I have a Leadership Meeting which lasts about ohh * hours they are super boring!!!

Received a letter from Dan a couple weeks back that was super awesome but also reminded me that I have got to start planning for my homecoming,  there is a lot I have got to do and only a month to do it... so I'm gonna make a list

HOMECOMING LIST

!. visit Grandma

2. visit Daniel family

3. have super awesome pool party

4. go on a date

5. go to temple weekly

6. get car

7. get phone

8. visit old comps

9. go on road trip

10. go see a super awesome band in concert

11. hang out with friends

12. watch a lot of movies

13. read a lot of books

14.SLEEP

15. Go to baseball game w/ John

16. sleep

17 grow a beard

18 buy a hammock

19 eat lots of lasagna

20 SLEEP

Well, it might be a little early, but earlier the better.  It kinda stinks though because this is exactly not what I wanted to do... sometimes I feel like I can't control thinking about going home.. which stinks I miss home but I know the second I  get there I'm gonna miss being a missionary.  Its super tough, my bishop over the ward I'm serving in is really great though, he always gives me advice and cheers me up whether it is about companion problems or being trunkie. I'm getting my phone call soon to finalize everything so I'm gonna need to know the final plans.  What are we doing?  Are you picking me up?... Well I'm gonna get going!!!!!!!!

A New General Authority, A Hike And the 24th of July! E-mail April 2, 2012

So as my subject states, there were new general authorities, but want to know something crazy?? I know one of them!  Isn't that weird. You could say she was like another mother to me... the second counselor in the relief society was my last mission presidents wife, S. Reeves!!  So for my first mission reunion it will be crazy seeing her. We watched Gen. Con. at the stake center with all the missionaries so everybody freaked out... Read Meaghan's E-mail and it stinks that it's snowing there... if it makes you feel any better its like in the 80's nice and warm here....

Sister Schillemat was excited to hear that Meaghan might know one of her friends.  Its strange they were in the MTC together.  Although,  I think she was in the MTC before Meaghan... I don't know the whole language thing... confuses me... especially when you spend like a whole 3 months there... 3 weeks was enough for me!!

Well we went on a hike today all through the mountains around here.  I can't wait to go home,  I'm totally camping... even though I didn't go camping all the time,  I really miss it. It was like a three mile hike... I learned all about Hawaiian culture especially the Goddess Pele.  The two Hawaiians here say she is their favorite.  It's a very interesting culture  they have.  After about an hour into the hike the two of them started chanting to the sun and I was like what the heck are you guys doing and they were asking the sun to shade himself and the two seconds later a huge cloud shaded the sun... weird... they both smiled at me and told me not to tell anyone or Pele would destroy me.... if I somehow have an accident this week blame Pele it's all her fault!

Me and my comp don't always see eye to eye... which is kinda sad but transfers are in like three weeks and then I'm most likely gone... it's sad but everyone is telling me I'm a goner.  I have only two transfers after this so... that's a total of like 15 weeks left of my mission... that's not a lot actually that's really short I'm super freaked... only four months :( I thought I would be super excited but I'm super not excited!!  I have only one temple trip left and two interviews how weird is that!!! I  even have to get my temple recommend renewed... can you believe that... but no more talking about going home... I WILL NOT BE TRUNKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all,  will see you soon and can't wait to be home...
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

PS  I go home the 24th of July!

i couldnt even start to explain‏! E-mail - March 26, 2012

Well I just finished reading Meaghan's E-mail and I have a question!!!!! Did you get my letters??? And can we shorten the address please, I'm so confused when I write to you cuz well I never know if it went to the right person, plus I might send a package I'm not sure. Will it be expensive????

 

So my week in Cali was a tough one I was sick from Thursday all the way to Sunday!!! It was horrible!!! Plus our first day out after I was feeling better, it rains.... the Sisters offered soup and ice cream.  I  should have said yes, but I didn't. My companion just got ...... so life will be very interesting for the next few days let me tell you that story...

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  lets just say Elder Daniel will NEVER be a nurse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

  

Other than that, the normal riding our bikes up mountain like hills... talking to crazy people... being taught by by Jehovah Witnesses... just your regular... everyone is excited about me going home which is weird, you would hope they would be upset, but they are just happy for me.  Everyone asks what my plans are and I tell them I don't worry my moms definitely got it all planned :)

Do I need anything???   Food is always good, Kraft dinner or Reece's cups... gummy bears, ohh yeah; two things I love bears and gummy... I don't know what gummy really is... an in-n-out is opening right by us, I  feel so bad for Meaghan she will miss the greasy ketchuppy  thousand islandy goodness of in-n-out plus their milkshakes it's calling my name!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well,  I should get going, Love you all, hope Ukraine is nice... I might have told you about the Romanian and what she said about Ukraine in my last e-mail if not I will tell you next week!

 

Until then.....
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

Hells Kitchen with Santa, Rain, and the coldest place in So Cal‏! E-mail - March 19, 2012

Well,as my subject states, it's been an interesting week...

It all started with my comp saying it's the last week of the transfer; something crazy is gonna happen!! Well good job Kozub!!!

The next day we were riding down freakishly big hills... HUGE HILLS... when Kozub yells AHHHHHH I'M GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!! I look behind me and he is holding on for dear life. Later on we find out that his sprocket is broken... it's what the chain hooks on to the crank (maybe I will be a bicycle mechanic) well it was totally broken, so we borrowed our Bishops bike... the day we borrow, it he crashes into me and breaks the Bishops bike!!!!

So, I pleaded that the week would get normal, but it didn't. It started to rain for three days!!!! That's a big deal out here (remember I'm in So Cal) plus our heater in our home share is broken and it was 32 degrees.  It could snow in our house!!  Our home share the Devitas asked me to fix the furnace because I'm so good with that kind of stuff ( I totally laughed when they said that) it took two electricians (one the Bishop of our ward) a soccer coach (high priest group leader) and a Mormon missionary (me) to find out we had no idea what is wrong!!!!! So, we called an electric company and we are still without heat!!!!

"Hells Kitchen"  was interesting... our High Priests Group was doing a social, a potato bar, and they asked for some help. I  had told my comp that my old nickname was Potato Pete and the next thing I know we are standing in a kitchen peeling potatoes.... the man in charge, Bro. Coleman a.k.a. Santa ( he plays Santa during the holiday season and looks exactly like him) was extremely mean and no one wanted to be there.  He started getting mad at us for whistling... but  I got to eat three baked potato's and I was stuffed.

Well, I have to go, I'm going to do the test sometime this week at our Bishops house and that major is totally fine...

Love you,
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

An Email - March 12, 2012

Well, it's been one long week.  It's good to hear that Megs got to Ukraine alright...

 

It's strange to think back to when I  first arrived in Cali and was like, what the freak is this... I never thought I would get used to the smog, but I don't even see it any more... I figured out this week that the church's have something in Kentucky that they don't have in Cali... coat closets. It took me almost 20 months to realize that there isn't a single one here..

 

I am kinda excited about school. I'm mostly nervous. I think it's strange going from Mormon Missionary to Mormon student... I'm not used to living in a Mormon culture. It's gonna be weird, plus this whole finding an eternal companion is weird... its weird to think I can date again... to say the least, I'm scared. Truthfully, the Mission isn't that difficult. You do get difficult companions and hard people to teach, but it's weird because your like an icon to people, all the members love you, and you have all this responsibility and that's all going away in like almost 4 months... that's not long at all!!!!!!!!

 

I didn't mean for my email this week to be a pity party... we had a good week ...kinda. we had a baptism, but she moved the day of her baptism out of the mission sooo it's weird... we got in a huge argument with her roommate because we were helping her move and we didn't know her roommate knew nothing of the situation, so she called the cops on us and it was weird... don't worry mom we didn't get into any trouble. When the police showed up he thought it was funny that any one would call because of Moromon Missionaries and he told us we were doing nothing wrong...

 

We also did a day of service, which was cool. We biked around in our service clothes and offered help to everyone... we didn't do much service, but more people were open with us when we were not in white shirts and ties...

 

It's weird because there is a Sister Jacobsen in our mission, Megs. Your comp might be related to her, but I don't really know Sister Jacobsen.. tell you the truth she kind of scares me...

 

Well I don't know what else to say, I hope everything is going well. See most of you soon, sorry not you Meaghan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel
p.s. has anyone done the plane thingy to you  yet Meaghan?????? Are there a lot of planes in Ukraine? Is it a third world country??

A snowball fight in SO CAL‏ March 5, 2012

Congrats to Meaghan!!!!  I hope you enjoy "the" Ukraine. All my ward members say good luck and one thing of advice; buy a new coat when you get there. They say that most likely your coat will not be warm enough... I  have no idea though, it's never cold here... Well, I never got pics of Virginia, but that's OK. It's weird to think you have only a year left, wow!!! I only have like 5 months left almost 4, how weird is that?? I'm about to go home and sleep in my own bed...

 

I know what you all  are thinking... How in the world did you have a snowball fight in So Cal? Well, our ZL's drove up the mountain and filled the bed of their truck with snow, then the Yucaipa ZL's did the same.  It was Redlands vs Yucaipa and it was crazy. We buried one of there ZL's in the snow in our truck and called it a victory! Many lives were lost (elders got too cold and quit) but in the end we stayed true and defeated Yucaipa what a great day.

 

On Saturday I did service with a ward member for 4 hours. We replaced part of a fence, so now I know how to do it. If you want one, it was a lot of work and the member said if there was four of us it would've taken under an hour... we should have asked for help.  

It's been a difficult week, my comp was sick like 3 days, then when he got to feeling better, my bike broke again...one of my ZL's   asked where I got my bike and when I told him Joels; he said that a lot of his bikes break easily. He has to fix his bike more than me and it's still in bad shape... he also told me my comp is infamous for faking sick and he's been sick every week of the transfer so far. It's difficult to determine whether he is really sick or faking. 

 

Sorry, but I'm running out of time.

 

I love you all hope everything is OK... I heard about all the Tornadoes... 

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel