7/28/2012

Hey Everyone, That is so cool that you had a blast in Oregon camping. I miss camping a lot. Soon tho.... Well, I hope that you have learned your lesson, wear sunscreen next time so you don't fry. I sort of figured when I didn't see a package in the mail, you forgot to send it, or got to busy. I'll be looking for it this week. Thanks!! Are Grandma and Grandpa still up there? Have fun camping again this weekend! Geez, you're all crazy!! Just kidding. My week was incredible!! We have still been meeting with those investigator's that we picked up the week before, they are a younger couple, probably in there 30's. I don't really have the guts to ask them why they live where they are. Maybe they will tell me sometime, they came to church this week too and we have been teaching them a lot! We invited them to be baptised and they accepted!! We are going to shoot for the 25 of August, we were going to go for the 18th, but we have a huge ward event going on that day. We also picked up a new investigator this week! She also wants to be baptised!! We have done a lot of biking this week too, I gave CTR bikes a call and left a message, they still haven't called me back. But a member in the ward has lent me his bike and I have been using it, man that this is fast!! He has a speedometer on his bike and I clocked myself going 31 miles an hour!!! Down hill of course, I'm trying to go faster. When It's flat I can maybe go 20. I feel really bad for the missionaries in the ward back at home, It makes me really mad too because in a way, I know how they feel. Was that the wards decision or the mission presidents decision? Someone should really buy their groceries for them. I would do it in a heartbeat if I was home, if they liked it or not. Maybe I will when I get home!! Please take care of them. Things here as a District Leader are going well, I didn't hold a meeting last week because there was a district leader training meeting last week. President Shumway instructed us on some stuff and it went really good!!! I feel more prepared too, thank heavens!!! I haven't heard anything about my flight plans yet, but as you already know, I come home the 21st of September. My guess would probably be that I will leave early in the morning as the other missionaries in the past have done. I'll let you know when I get it tho. Can you all please pray for rain out here? We need it badly. I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Thank you for your prayers!! Love, Elder Daniel Stuart

July 9th, 2012

Hey Everyone, Another week passes. It goes by too fast unfortunately, I've been looking back on my mission and thinking of all of the experiences that I have been through to make me stronger and learn more. What a blessing it has been! College can wait, I'm so grateful that I said "Yes" to my bishop to serve a mission. It's defiantly a adventure I will never forget. I've never been so stressed, so mad, so sad to the point I fall and cry, so happy, so confident, so exhausted, so excited, and so blessed in my whole life then right here while leaving my family and serving the Lord for two years of my life. I just wish I had the knowledge that I have now in the beginning of my mission. Anyways, we had a somewhat good week, it has been hot as usual, I remember one day, I was walking on the street and my feet were burning and I was wearing shoes!!! I looked in my closet the other day and noticed my hoodie jacket hanging up, it looks so lonely! It needs to be worn! Maybe I can crank my A/C to like 30 and then I'll wear it when I go to bed. We keep our A/C at like 68 all the time and when we come in from a hot days work, we open that door and wham! A cold front hitting me right in the face, all I can say is "Ahhhh....." Our investigators are doing well, we have had quite the challenge meeting some of them, some are super busy with finding jobs, some are having major a family crisis, and some are really sick but still puts forth the effort to come outside for at least 5 minutes to tell us that he is still reading and he prayed to know if it is true like we asked him to do and he told us that he knows it is, he's just really sorry that he can't see us as much as he wants to. He has some sort of a back disorder and is constantly seeing doctors, not to mention he is taking care of his wife who has M.S. Really badly. I pray for them and everyone else everyday and night. I also pray for my district and the missionaries I look over. Being a District Leader is quite interesting, I haven't yet held a meeting yet, we had Zone Conference on Saturday and we were able to see President and Sister Shumway for the first time, they are wonderful people! I hardly know them but I already know that he has been called by God to lead this mission in a very important cause. He's really funny and knows how to have a good time, he is also really obedient and blunt and bold but he does it in a very caring loving way. I'm kind of disappointed that I only get to serve under him for 2 1/2 months. Since that was my last Zone Conference, I was able to give my departing testimony, I'm the only one in this zone that is going home soon. Another person that gave his departing testimony was one of the Assistants who goes home at the end of this transfer. When President Shumway said that it's now time for departing testimonies, he looked right after me and said: "I don't know you, but I wish I would of gotten the opportunity to know you better" He was pretty bummed that I'm leaving and so am I. My 4th of July went pretty awesome, we are able to have a delicious BBQ with some members in the ward and watch them light off fireworks. It was much funner than last years 4th of July. I'm happy to hear that you guys had a great time watching them. How did the girls handle them this year? Still scared out of there minds? No, I'm not getting letters yet, I did get one from a kid from the singles ward name Chase but I haven't replied yet. Other than that, nope. I emailed Garrett and told him that I still haven't gotten his letter and he replied that it was actually sent back to him, so I think he will try again, or something like that, and he's like 3000 miles away!! At least he's putting forth the effort to write me and I have no doubt that he is busier than anyone back at home, yet he takes 2 hours out of his busy week to write me. What are best friends for, right? If you could try to get my college papers for NIC ready for me,then UofI, that would be great, Mom. Thanks! I don't think you really need to help me with a job, I feel that that is something I need to do on my own. I got the email with the info that you gave me, thanks! I got the rest of it on lds.org. It is needed so the mission office can notify them when I'm coming home. Thanks for all that you guys do, I really appreciate it and I love you all a lot, Have a great week! Love always, Elder Daniel Stuart