Dear family,

Thank you for the packages!! I loved them, especially the blog book :)
I had a wonderful birthday and I got spoiled by my roommates. They
decorated my door and made me a poster that said such wonderful things
and was covered with candy that made the words. They are a creative
bunch, I tell you.

This week has been a whirlwind. SO many emotions and SO many miracles.

First off I chopped most of my hair off. I don't know if I have ever
had so little hair! I wish I could send a picture but these computers
refuse to cooperate. My hair has a lot of "texture" and layers in it
now, which I have found befundling as I try to style it but I really
like it over all. I also got a letter and package from my dear friend
Camryn for my birthday. It included a t-shirt that she had made AND a
wedding announcement! October 11th!! I just can't believe it. She
barely turned 20!! I want to get her a little something. It says they
are registered at Target. Is there any way you could send her
something from me? It is Tyler Scott and Camryn Alston. I would REALLY
appreciate it!!

Last Wednesday, our whole apartment had a crying break down during
companionship studies. Each of them are going through something hard,
and I was the only one who wasn't in tears! (Shocker, I know) We ended
up having an apartment study session where we said a prayer and sang a
couple hymns. And then something really cool happened. The
conversation turned to the Atonement and we each found ourselves
bearing our testimonies of its enabling power. It was a really
powerful moment. Four young missionaries relying on the Atonement. So
often, I think of the Atonement as a way to receive forgiveness, but I
have learned through personal experience that it is so much more than
that. If we let it, the Atonement can carry us, strengthening us to do
some hard thing. It can empower us to do things that are so far beyond
our abilities. I've thought a lot about the Atonement this week and
our Relief Society lesson was on it as well. Someone said that
although the Atonement was more agonizing than we can imagine, that
she believes that Christ felt all the good things we feel too. If He
was to understand us and what we are going through, than He would have
to feel the good as well as the bad. He felt our joys, our triumphs,
and our happiness. Isn't that a cool notion? I believe it is true. The
more that is asked of us from the Lord, the more He gives and I would
think He would want to give His Son all the happiness this world has
ever felt, since the Savior had to give so much.

This week we have found so many new people to teach. The Lord is
really blessing us and we were able to teach quite a few. BLESSINGS. I
am running out of time, but I'll be sure to mention them next week!

I LOVE YOU!!
Sister Daniels

Dear family,

 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY WISHES! It made me feel extra loved. I LOVE the blog book. I've read it twice and never seem to get tired of it. It's nice to be able to catch up on all the things that I've missed. I can't believe how big the boys have grown. I say that all the time, but they just keep growing!

 

This week has flown by. Every week seems to get shorter than the last. I will hit my 14th month mark this week!!! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?? I live with three other sister missionaries and they are all new to the mission. The longest any of them have been out is 3 months! So I'm an outlier (I included that term for Lexi's benefit :)! Something that I am really learning on my mission is the enabling power of the Atonement. Missionary work and the things that I do every day don't change, but my capacity and ability to do them--and to do them well--have changed. Things were hard at the beginning. It took me a time to adjust, but once you do there is no greater happiness than being a missionary. Truly.

 

We met two men this week, Josh and Greg, who are struggling. They were both raised up in Christian faiths but now are doubting the divinity of Christ. My heart breaks for them. They work during the week and spend their weekends drinking until they pass out. I don't know why they do it. It seems like misery to me, but I think they just want to get away. They want to get away from their lives and their struggles and their pains, and this is the way they were taught to do it growing up. They now have kids of their own and are teaching them the same horrible cycle. If only they could see what the gospel could do for them. If only they could see how they could change if they accept the rights and blessings that comes from being sons of God. I am so grateful that I was born in a home that had the gospel. It could easily have been me that was born into such a chaotic family, and yet it wasn't, and I thank God every day for the live that He has given me.

 

I love you all so much! Thanks for everything that you do and have done for me!

Until next week,

Sis D

Dearest family,

 

Way to go Mom! I'm so proud of you for friendshipping Courtney. It makes such a big difference to the investigator to have a friend and to feel welcome at church!!

 

We met some really cool people this week. We knocked into a man from Iraq. He's lived in America for 40 years, but he still has a bit of an accent. He was SO nice. He had converted to Christianity (he was Muslim before) and knows quite a bit about our church. We couldn't go inside because their wasn't another lady in the house, so we taught him about the Book of Mormon on the porch and answered his questions. He said he would like to learn more and take the lessons! We also met a Bulgarian and a Cuban this week. Both invited us back and both believe in God but not necessarily Jesus Christ. What is so interesting to me is how unique everyone's journey is on this earth. Some people have no trouble accepting the Book of Mormon, and yet struggle with the concept of a modern-day prophet. Others believe in a Supreme being but don't see how an organized religion can have all the truth. The one thing they all seem to have in common is a hurdle that comes before they can know and accept the truth. Looking back on my own conversion, there were times that I had doubts too and yet they always led to a testimony building experience. Each person has to overcome their own hurdles and the missionaries will do all they can but in the end we can't make that jump for them. As a missionary, I feel like I've had a love/hate relationship with agency. When investigators don't act on the spirital witness they've had, it can be frustrating. It is worrisome. And yet I am so grateful to have a Heavenly Father who loves and who trusts us enough to let us choose. I will forever be grateful that I chose to come on a mission. It is easily the best one I have ever made.

 

We were able to see Danie and Bill&Gale Smith this week. These three are our main investigators and I just love them so much! We have a lesson with Danies tonight and are bringing Sister Fletcher with us. When we invited Sister Fletcher, she was SO excited. She is a convert to the church and she feels that her family was sent to South Carolina to be missionaries. I love having a member come to lessons. It really brings the Spirit and strengthens member, missionary, and investigator! If the missionaries aren't taking you all out with them, you should ask to go!! It helps a lot :)

 

Love you!!!!!!

Sister D

Dearest family!

 

Things in Dutch Fork are going great. Sister Bowman is such a quick learner and has adapted to missionary life with so much ease! It did not come that easy to me!! She loves to knock doors and is always trying to improve her contacting. It is really good for me because it makes me try a lot harder too. I can see a big difference in myself. Training brings a lot of memories of my training days back to me. Man. I have come a long way. Something that I noticed this week is how much easier it is for me to just talk to people. I'm far more friendly and talkative now. I know, it's positively shocking...

I love it. I just love people!

 

We knocked into a couple this week, who let us into their home immediately. They didn't even wait for us to introduce ourselves! I love when that happens :) It turns out Dee used to work in the library and she was impressed by all the Elders and how mature and kind they were. She has a high opinion of our church. We introduced the Book of Mormon and read the first part of 3 Nephi 11 with them. They are very involved in their Lutheran church, but were open to learning more. During the lesson, I just felt this need to bear my testimony so I did. It was probably the most simple and fervent testimony that I have ever said.  The Spirit that flooded the room at the moment is indescribable. I learned all over again that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. Our mission president said that our greatest converts we will have on our mission is ourselves and I believe it. I have taught the Restoration (without exaggeration) hundreds of times and each time I do I find out it is true all over again. And I learn something new each time! How does that happen?? I keep thinking there is going to be a time when I've learned all there is, and yet someone will say something that puts a different light on the subject and I learn something new!

 

I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church established on the earth once again. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet and messenger of the Lord. I know the priesthood is real and that our church has it. I know God answers prayers and the Spirit will be with us as long as we are worthy of it. These things I know!

 

I love you all SO much!

Sis Daniels

Dear family,

Sorry I didn't write yesterday! Labor day means the librarians cease laboring so we cease emailing :)

To answer your question: I think my release date is January 22? I know it is in the early 20s of January and I will fly home on aThursday, so whatever day that is. I could probably ask to leave a transfer early, which would mean I would get home December 11th or something like that, but I don't think I am going to do that. I only have 18 months to be a full-time missionary! I don't want to lose a moment! It is rather unfortunate timing, since I will barely miss winter semester....

Thanks for sending me that picture with Sister Borgholthaus! That girl is just hilarious.

I don't even know where to start. So much has happened this week. We had exchanges, so I went to Lexington with Sister Anderson. It is so interesting to see how other missionaries teach and to learn different techniques. It is also fun to see different areas in South Carolina. We taught a ten year old girl on the exchange (She actually ended up getting baptized on Saturday!) about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I haven't taught too many kids on my mission (At least not on their own) and it was really nice because it forced me to teach simply and clearly. Sometimes I have the tendency to go a little too deep and have to reign it in. Basics. It is all about the principles.

We had dinner with the Woodleys. The husband is less-active. We talked about faith and shared Alma 32:21 and Brother Woodley totally opened up. He said that he wished he could just know like everyone else seems to about God and Christ and the gospel. He says he believes that there is a higher power because when he was opening up his real estate business he just started to understand things. He knew the knowledge came from somewhere outside himself, but he doesn't have much of a concept of faith. As we talked about him, the Spirit was really strong. He could sense that he was missing something and he really wants it. He wants to know it is true. He said he joined the church, because he knew it would make his wife happy and he knew that Mormons are good people. He didn't have a spiritual conversion. I felt the Spirit prompt me to promise him that if he reads the Book of Mormon every day for this month than the Lord will make it known to him the gospel is true. He said he would read every day if I did too. Easiest bargain I ever made :)

Also Brother Woodley came to church on Sunday and stayed for all three hours! Whoop! And Amanda Hernandez thanked me for teaching her cousin. She says that she knows she felt the Spirit and knows the church is true. She feels like she will be baptized in Mexico. Amanda was totally crying when she told me this so of course I start to cry. Geesh, the emotions. Anyway it was just really good to hear that I've made a difference in her life! Or better yet the gospel has made that difference!

I love you all! I pray for you every day!

Love,

Sister Daniels

Dear family,

Wow. This week has been crazy hot! I mean the humidity alone... People always assume that I am used to it, being that I am from Texas and all, but there are things that one just cannot get used to. Humidity is one of those things. On the plus side, we had some really cool miracles happen! We had two lessons in particular where the Spirit just went through every heart. So cool. Plus, Sister Bowman invited someone to be baptized for the first time. I didn't even have to prompt her. She just did it! I was so proud. Gosh, I feel like she is a better missionary than I already! We were reading 3 Nephi 11 with Danie, a member referral. She was pretty skeptical about it being the word of God. She's Southern baptist... Anyway after we read it, I asked her how she felt and she said, "I know that really happened. I know this is true." SO COOL. The Book of Mormon softens hearts. It really does. Then Sister Bowman asked her to be baptized. Danie said she had already been baptized (if I had a nickle for everytime we hear this down in the South I could have paid for the entirety of my mission), so we launched into priesthood and basically taught the Restoration. She totally understood it. She is going to read and continue to pray on it. We are actually seeing her tonight, so keep us in your prayers!

I've been studying church history a little bit lately. I'm almost through with the Doctrine and Covenants and just finished "Our Heritage" again. It just amazes me how strong those early Latter-day Saints were in the gospel. They were asked to sacrifice so much and they underwent so much persecution. I feel like my mission "sacrifice" is so pitiful in comparison! People we talk to are always so impressed with the sacrifices we make, but it isn't really much of anything. Sure, I miss you all and my friends, but it is for only 18 months! And I have had so much given to me in return! Testimony building experiences, friendships, converts, a greater depth of understanding, greater knowledge of the scriptures, and a greater understanding of myself. I understand why they call it the "best two years" (or eighteen months!). I really just love being a missionary.

I got a letter from Michael and Mona this week. They are doing really well! They both have callings now!! The sisters are trying to teach Michael's son, so I am excited to see how that pans out. It is so nice to hear how strong they are in the gospel though. I am excited for them to go through the temple next April!!

I love you all so much!

Sister Daniels

Dear family,

Sorry this email is getting to you so late! We went to the zoo this morning!! Sister Barlow is the senior sister we live with and she took us. It was one of the best zoos I've ever been to. It was small and only took us a little over an hour to go through and it was shady and we got to feed the giraffes! They have these long, purple-ish tongues. Yup. Crazy stuff. We also bought some nectar to feed the birds and they just flocked to us. I have a ton of pictures but they will have to get to you via snail mail. It was SO much fun. We ended up seeing another group of sister missionaries there! I got to see two of my previous companions, Sister Jackson and Sister Brown. Love them!

Things in Dutch Fork are going great. We had the Restoration with Kim and David and it went really well! I was a little nervous, since Sister Bowman had just learned the Restoration and it would practically be her first, but Kim agreed to pray about being baptized. David wouldn't give us a straight answer although I asked him about four times. We hope to next teach the Plan of Salvation in a member's home. Kim knows one of our members, Sister Waters, pretty well so we are hoping that their testimonies, plus the Spirit in their homes will help them get that spiritual confirmation they need to proceed! I love them dearly though. It reminds me of being with Michael and Mona. Hopefully, we get the same end result!

We have been doing a lot of knocking, which always makes for some interesting encounters. I almost got into my first Bible bash. I've gotten a little more fiesty the longer I've been out, which is not really a good thing. But we did reign it in. Herb is a Methodist and thought it providence to find two unbelievers on his doorstep, so he gave us a Bible (which I totally kept, it being  perfectly mini and the KJV) and tried to teach us the Plan of Salvation (the whole by grace alone we are saved and it doesn't matter what we do gambit). We attempted to teach him our version, but the Spirit wasn't really there since he was definetely on the offense, but we did leave a Plan of Salvation pamphlet so hopefully that will soften his heart. We also met a guy named Tommy. He is very interesting and seemed fascinated with how devoted we are to our religion. He doesn't believe in organized religion, but he said he wouldn't mind learning about ours. That and he said he would teach us how to sail after I'm through with my mission, which seems like an exciting prospect! Yay, southern hospitality!

Well, I love you guys! I love being a missionary!

Sister Daniels