Sunday, July 3, 2011

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!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Another Week in Perris, CA Email - May 23, 2011

So,  yes,  it's my birthday this week; number 20; no special plans, just going to work as regular.   I got Meaghan's package in the mail and John's card.  It's weird they both had pictures of monkeys on them...!

 We got lost in our area this week, a three hour bike ride!  I was quite upset, even worse we got lost in a giant field!  Nothing much else going on.  Sent you some pics.  Enjoy!
--

Love,

Elder Zachary David Daniel

Quick One Email - May 16, 2011

Dear Mom,

Just sending a quick email during a zone activity;  (rubber band war).   I do have hot water now and  you can send the package to the apartment address.  Not much else is going on.

You'll never believe this!   My current Bishop,   Bishop Falk is from, GUESS WHERE??
Lemmon, South Dakota!  He said there was a Branch there once with 8 members.

I gotta go!

Love you,

Elder Zachary David Daniel

Email - Short Note Day After Phone Call May 9, 2011

Hey Guys,
 Don't have much to say seeing we just talked last night. All is good, Elder Judd got here pretty early; like    8:30 AM.  Don't have any really big plans.  We are getting our apartment tomorrow so that will be good.
 
Life seems to carry on as normal.   Looks like we might get some rain. The other Elder had about the same luck with skype as I did, so he ended up not using the camera.  It was a little disappointing. 
 
I don't know what else to say,  I'm pretty excited for the b-day!   I hope all is well and everyone is doing OK.

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

Monday, May 2, 2011

Back To Menifee! Monday - May 2, 2011

Dear Mom, John and Meaghan,
 
Well, as the subject states it,  I'm going back to Menifee,  The Lake Peris Ward.  I will serve for a week with Elder Maddy and Elder Peralta, he is from Nicaragua(spelling?) then Elder Judd will come over and we'll still be comps. It's going to be weird leaving, only being here 2 weeks. I found something interesting in my studies; D&C 61:30, duh! I'm going to make you look it up!  Also, the whole chapter is pretty interesting, you guys should read it and tell me what you think.  I have had some pretty interesting responses the last couple of days about it.
 
I am no longer a Trainer, I'm  just a regular Missionary again, it's nice having no responsibility except for my investigators . so life is good!  I finally finished Jesus the Christ. I'm still reading in the Old Testament and the POGP and I have read all the standard works through.  Next I'm going straight through PMG and I'll have completed the entire Mission Library.
 
So everyone is talking about Tornadoes! Did you guys get hit by any?  Are you alright?  
 
I don't know where or when we will be skyping for Mothers Day, all I know is that we're supposed to do it.  I leave for Lake Peris tomorrow at 9 at night.  It's going to be weird!  I've never left so late.  The lady at the computer next to me is looking at inappropriate pictures and its really weird!!! She stopped. Good by the way it is HOT here like I'm wishing for Clouds not Rain because that hurts when you're on bike. By the way I found all these smiley faces aren't they cool!!!   I don't know what this one is though.  It's so sweet!  I  technology 
 
Well, I'm sorry for getting off track like that.  Life is all good.  It will be nice to see you in a week and to get my package. OH SNAP!!!!! That's what I forgot!  I got your package with the shirt and the cookies and such!  Don't know where it went, since you had mailed it over one month ago!  Well, I have to get going because its time for us to leave.  Bye!

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel