Monday, July 20, 2015

Best week so far in the mission

Hey,

This week was probably by far the best week on my mission so far. We had so many cool things happen. On monday we had a lesson with S. and we were able to put her back on date again. Tuesday and Wednesday we moved most of all of the stuff from our one house to the other place. Our new place is an upgrade from the last one. The last apartment we stayed in was right behind a bar and right next to a train track where the train blew its horn super loud! It was quite annoying, but our new place is almost dead quiet! On Wednesday we tried to go and find some less active members in Clinton, we found one that lives right next to the church! Brother L. drives long haul semi trucks so he is gone for a while sometimes. We talked about his job and he says that on the truck he has right now, he has over 1,250,000 miles on it!!! thats crazy! he said that he has gone to all of the 48 states, Alaska, and even all of the states in Canada! He also said that he had driven on all stretches of highway in the U.S except for about 800 miles. He cant ever come to church because he is always on the road. After meeting brother L. we had a dinner out in beavertail with a member who's fiance is leaning about the gospel. He has a really sincere heart and he wants to know, we were able to put him on date for baptism as well! 

On Thursday we did our weekly planing for the week and then we headed over to dinner with the Y. family. When we showed up we saw that we were going to have cheeseburgers, but brother Y. said, "I hope you like black bear meat for your burger!" we were stunned! We have never had black bear meat ever in our lives. so now on my mission I have been able to have deer, elk, pheasant, and now black bear meat. Black bear meat is super good! We also have been teaching a guy  for the past few weeks, he has been looking for a church for a while. He told us that he would like to come to church but he does not have a ride so we set one up for him with a member, and he came this last sunday and loved it. 

On Friday we went up to seeley lake for the weekend because we were teaching T, she is doing really well. On fast sunday she bore her testimony and she also gave the closing prayer and now this sunday she is giving a talk in church. She needs to get married first before she gets baptized, which her fiance is dragging his feet super hard. We are getting so frustrated because of that. We also saw a member that our branch mission leader told us to go visit, because he had been in a serious accident about a month ago. He is one of the coolest members that I have met on my mission. In his accident he went off the road and a log that was leaning up against another log smashed through his windshield and sucker punched him right in the side of his face, which knocked him out instantly. Since that happened, his whole head is basically titanium now from crushing every bone in his head. The coolest thing about him though is that he has the best attitude about it. I wont go into much more detain than this, but it suffices me to say that during his coma that he was in for a few days, he had one of those experiences where he saw the light and he saw a figure which told him basically that he wasn't ready for him yet. He now has been converted to the gospel and he is coming to church every week and is taking the sacrament despite his challenges that he may have. He is so cool because he testified that his experience that he had was real and he wasnt lying, and you could tell that he was not lying!  

Also this week we got our transfer news, we got the call in the middle of church rather than at the end of the night on Sunday like they usually do. The call was from president Wadsworth. Usually when president calls to give the transfer information, its for a leadership position. He called and elder Hubbard answered and president said that elder Hubbard was going to be transferred to Powell to be a zone leader. But the odd thing was that he didn't tell me my information. But it would be weird to have both of us leave so I figured that I was going to stay in the area again. But we got another call from the zone leaders that said that I was going to be transferred. When I heard the news that I was going to be transferred, I was not happy because that NEVER happens. No missionary companionship ever gets doubled out when the work is going as good as it is here. But anyways, im heading not to far over to Corvalis which also covers Pinesdale. But there are 8 baptisms there in the next 2 weeks, so I hope that the new missionaries that are getting doubled in to the area dont slow down the work that we worked so hard to get.  

That was my week, see you later,

Elder Daniels

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

slow week

Hey guys,

This week was a pretty slow week for us. We have been in the process
finding a new place to move into. We spent one day cleaning up the
apartment and packing all of our stuff into our suitcases so it can be
easier to move everything when the time comes.

We have been trying to figure out what the best thing to do between 1
and 4 in the afternoon. We dont have very much success during that
time but we make the most of it. After dinner on Wednesday we tried to
go tracting down one street and everyone that week talked to on that
street was a Jehovah witness. We talked to one guy who was really nice
and Elder Hubbard asked him what the beliefs and such of the Jehovah
witness church. The guy said, "huh, funny you would ask that." he then
proceeds to pull out from behind his back a booklet with about 100
pages that is titled, "what does the bible really teach?" We looked at
it briefly and put it away because some of the stuff that they teach
is somewhat correct but not all of the way. But
at least we know some of their beliefs when we tract into one again.
one thing that is interesting is that they are not allowed to take
anything from any other churches or they will be disfellowshipped and
excommunicated. We also met a less active member that wants his
name taken off of the church records, which is really sad to hear.

On thursday we had our housing inspection and we passed because it was
basically spotless because we are moving soon. Then on Friday we had
our first interviews with president Wadsworth. He is a really good
guy. He is also different from president Mecham personality wise. But
I like him already. Elder Hubbard thought that nobody would beat his
old mission president in the Rapid City Mission. But when he walked
out of his interview and we got in the truck and went home. He could
not stop talking about  him and he said that president Wadsworth was
the best mission president by far.

Anyways, this week was a pretty slow week and we did not have much
stuff going on.

have a good week,


Elder McKade Daniels


Monday, July 6, 2015

ups and downs

Hey guys! 

This week has had some ups and downs. We have been teaching S. every Monday and  Thursday. She is doing so well. She always asks us what the next sunday school lesson will be in gospel principles so that she can study it. She is so prepared she will definitely make her date for the 18th this month! We went tracting on Thursday and we found a jewish lady who was really nice and she just moved from UTAH so she knows all about the church of Jesus Christ. she even said that her mom was jewish and her dad was a Mormon  We had dinner with the Mcfarlands house as well and they are doing so good. brother mcfarland is the nicest guy that you will ever meet!

Also this week, President and sister Mecham ended their mission on Wednesday and the new mission president came in on Wednesday as well. our new mission president and wife is president and sister Wadsworth. (see attached picture) on Friday, all of the missionaries had to meet at the stake center at 7:30 in the morning so that we could all drive to Helena to meet the new mission president and wife. the drive was really fun. I got to drive the 2 hours to helena and the 2 hours back!  By the time that we got back I was not tired at all! We were going to have to drive to seeley lake after getting back to Missoula which takes another hour, but T. canceled the lesson. So if that lesson did not cancel I would have driven 6 hours in one day! The funny thing is, on the 2 hour drive to Helena, you are driving through our area for about 1 1/2 hours! our area is huge!!! President  Wadsworth is cool. He is way different than president Mecham, but it is good to have him here. 

Also, during the morning of the 4th of July, all of the missionaries had to get together at a park in Missoula because the Missoula stake puts on a breakfast for the whole community. All the missionaries helped serve the food while me and a few other missionaries cooked the pancakes and eggs. I didnt cook any pancakes but I cooked all of the eggs on a big grill. I think I am a master at making eggs now. 

Okay I might rant and vent here a little bit. haha! The 4th of July was probably the worst 4th of July in my life....since the weather has been really hot the past week, the city of Missoula and also Missoula county decided to OUTLAW fireworks because the fire danger was super high. I get that they dont want to have a forest fire, but what I dont get is that how are you supposed to have a 4th of july without fireworks?!?! If you dont have fireworks on the 4th of july than its just another day. They were so strict on having no fireworks that on the 4th of July that they had every police officer, even all the firetrucks, patroling around town looking for people that are lighting fireworks!!! I was pretty mad about that but what made it even worse is that they didnt even do the huge fireworks!!! I just cant believe that they outlawed fireworks!! Worst 4th of july of my life....

This week has been very interesting. Like I said, there has been ups and downs. 

Have a good week. 

Elder  Daniels

Intense week

howdy y'all!

This week was a pretty intense week. We were so busy! On Monday we had exchanges with the zone leaders. The exchange was really short and it only lasted for over night. During the exchange however, Elder Hubbard and the other zone leader knocked on three doors in the morning and they got three new investgators for us! Another thing that happened on the exchanges is that S. got put on a baptismal date!!! When I heard that I was super excited! The best part about it is that the date is still within this transfer! 

With all of the people that they had found on the exchange, We had return appointments with them on Wednesday. One of the people that they found, her name was C. When we went back to teach her, her boyfriend answered the door and he was pretty rude. he told us, "I thought I told you to never come back!" We basically said in reply, " hey man, we are not teaching you or here to see you. is C. here?" he said, "no, and she is not interested." he got so frustrated at us that he wouldn't even shake our hands when we left. We were pretty upset about the whole situation because I dont like it a whole lot when the husband/boyfriend makes the choice for their spouse. It makes me want to say sometimes, "how do you know if she is not interested?" but as we were walking around after that whole scenario, a lady drove up next to us and said, "HEY!!! I have been looking for missionaries forever and I finally found you!" She is not a member but she loves the missionaries and she said that she wants us over to come and teach her and she would feed us as well. Thats a tender mercy of the lord if i've ever seen one! Needles to say, that made our day and we went home! 

On Thursday, we had dinner with a member and the dinner was fantastic! All of it was home made and we even had fresh milk out of one of their cows! I have never had actual milk ( the store bought milk, after all the stuff they do to it, isnt REAL milk anymore. Its just like sugar and water) that cows milk is probably the best thing that I have every drank. It is so rich and it tastes so real! It was a good day. 

On Friday we went up to seeley lake and we taught T. Daniels again. It was a really good lesson. We taught about the commandments and it was really simple to teach but we made more out of it. After the lesson we also had another lesson set up with a part member family and we didnt know where they lived, so we got directions from the branch mission leader. We followed the directions exactly, but we ended up miles into the forest. One of the roads that we had to go on started out like a normal dirt road. But as soon as we got into the forest, the road turned into steep grades and pretty rocky! It was pretty fun, because I like driving on backroads like that. But we realized that they most likely did not live up that road, so we turned around when we could and called the branch mission leader and he realized that his first direction was wrong. But we eventually found it. 

It was a really good week this week, we are finding and teaching a lot of people. I hope that all of your week was good as well. 
Elder Daniels