LEWIS!!! E-mail August 15, 2011

Well, thank you mom, all your emails came through today, so I got the same message about four times!!!  LOL!  But I really appreciate the care. I also received the package and the card; thank you so much!!!

 

This week was pretty uneventful with the exception that I had an exchange with the Spanish Elders so I put my 7 words of Spanish to good use by trying my hardest not to sleep. The family we stay with is pretty nice they have been through a lot. Obviously there is a mom and dad, then they have two boys and three girls that live at home. The oldest boy Bacon (name is really Kendall) has a mild autism but is super good at board games!   Then they have a daughter named Michelle but she's like 15, so we never see her (were not allowed). Then they have a 12 year old daughter, McKenzie; she has a missionary jar that's her life goal (she kinda reminds me of Meaghan), then there's the nine year old Rosie, she is in love with Elder McKee and he gets embarrassed when I bring it up, so I bring it up all the time. Finally there's Preston who is eight; he is like any little brother I imagine and just tries to be like us in every way (even to the point where one day he put on his white shirt and clip on tie and decided that he would spend the day with us).

 

That's the family, they are a great group of people that have been through a lot. A couple of years ago Sister Lewis got breast cancer; she lived but it was scary for all the kids. Then about two months ago they found a 25 pound tumor in Brother Lewis's stomach.  He was in a coma about two weeks. They spoke in church yesterday about all the help they received and how grateful they were.   It surprised me a little  how people have such small reasons for leaving the church; yet a family like this who have had so many trials; all of them are active and have testimonies.

 

Although some of us have lives where our testimonies seem not to bee easily dismantled, the Lewis family like Joseph Smith, I know,  would need the gates of hell to open before any one of them would deny that Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith was a prophet. What a great example they are to me and I hope they can be too many others

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel

SCOOP BALL!! E-mail August 8, 2011

Another week has gone by!!!!

 

So here's my news after my "outstanding" talk in Parkview Ward the Palm Dessert Ward has asked me and my Companion to speak, and yet again my Companion was mad!!   I am speaking last again! This week was just a normal one;  we are teaching this man named Chris.  I don't know if I told you, but he is super loaded (I probably shouldn't have said that) he has 4 Harley's, he's a real nice guy, but is only taking the lessons because of his wife, but he did state that baptism was in his future, and that he wouldn't be surprised if it happened.

 

Well, we played a game called scoop ball today.  It was tons of fun, my team won 8-5.  I was goally and received a few punishing blows!!!   Well, my last e-mail failed and I lost over half my e-mail; it was basically about the family I live with now that I'm in a home share.  I don't have much time to say other things, send my love to all  --
Elder Zachary David Daniel

Why? What A Great Question.... E-mail August 1, 2011

Well another week has come and gone and I can say it was an interesting one...

 

I got to see my families bucket lists and I was really surprised by what I saw.  One even highlighted a gospel principle I was thinking of sharing. As many of you know, yesterday I spoke in one of my wards (yes that's a plural... not wives, wards  (LOL)).  My topic was building and retaining a testimony.  I was told it was a 15 minute talk, then when I got to church I looked at the program (yes I'll send it to you mom) and my name was last!!!!! So the Bishop asked me right there to do 25 minutes.  My companion almost fell over with laughter. Well, I did it and I'm still alive.  However, the great story of the week is this.

 

While tracting, me and my comp ran into a guy who decided he knew more about the "Mormon" church; more than two Mormon missionaries. Well, he was wrong, but I won't get into that. One thing he told us was that God didn't have a body and the resurrection wasn't real. So we discussed how we know God does have a body (Joseph Smiths vision) and how we knew we would receive one. Well, all that is truly unimportant what makes sense is this. If God has a body and we want to be like God (not BE God) we would need to be like him.  We would need to gain our bodies again just like Jesus Christ did. When we told the man this he stood there and asked. Why?

 

Why? is such a great question!!! I felt giddy just beginning to type my response to the question. First lets answer a question with some more questions. Why did Jesus come to the Earth? Why, when in the garden did he suffer so much pain; he bleed from every pore, even though he could quit at any moment? Why would Christ the Savior of the World only go to Jerusalem? ( He didn't by the way).  There is only one answer to all these questions. LOVE. Love is a weird thing,  it makes people do things they would never imagine. Why do 20 year old men and women take one and a half to two years of there lives and go talk to people they never met about  the gospel of Christ?   Because they love those people even though they may never even know their names or spend more than 5 minutes with them. We are all brothers and sisters spiritually and physically. We all come from Adam and Eve!! Why should we not just stop these crazy things forget about what race or religion or country we are or are from, or if were straight or homosexual and just Love each other? If someone is over on the other side of the street help them. If someone is crying give them a shoulder. It's time we forget politics and just cared for each other. 

 

I am so grateful for a mother who always cared for me even if I didn't see it. For a step-father who was there even if he didn't have to be, a sister who was a great example even if I didn't give  her credit. Life is short write a list 50 things you want to do then you'll see like I have; you're a wonderful child of God. 

"Adam fell that men might be, and men are to have joy"

Be Joyful ......Smile :)
--
Elder Zachary David Daniel
P.S. thanks for the lists

President and Sister Smart

Elder Zachary Daniel with his new Mission President and his wife.  President and Sister Smart.  Sister Smart has started a blog for the Riverside CA Mission;  http://riversidecaliforniamission.blogspot.com/.

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