Danny's Blog

Super Bowl XLIII and Ads

2009-02-03T16:31:00.003-07:00

I watched the Super Bowl at a mission buddy's house this past Sunday. It was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and watch a game that I haven't seen in two years.

Though I love college football, I'm normally not one for NFL games. I feel that NFL players are over payed and underachievers normally. But I have to say, Sunday's games was probably one of the best games that I have seen. It was very exciting and could have gone either way at any time. Too bad the Cardinals lost, though they had plenty of opportunities to pull it off, they just couldn't capitalize.

What I REALLY missed though was the Ads that are run during the game. There are always the best ads run during the game, and this year was no exception. They ranged from the hilarious, to the overly scandalous, to the awesome. I'm really excited about the movie teasers for the new Transformers and G.I. Joe movies.

In case you missed the ads, I've included a widget to the ads on hulu. It looks like they are carrying all of the ads.. brought to you by.. other ads, that's right. Enjoy!

A Transparent President

2009-01-24T19:28:00.004-07:00

It sure is nice to have a transparent President of the United States. Be him Democrat or Republican. Say what you will about him, it's about time we have a President that keeps us in the loop. I hope and pray for good things to come from him. This country definitely needs it.

Holiday Update... a few days late

2009-01-07T17:13:00.004-07:00

This holiday seasons has reminded me that there are many wonderful people in Georgia and back at home in Ohio that I love and miss and need to contact. I wanted to tell you about how I have been doing since being home. I have been home from my mission now for a little over two months. Life off the mission has definitely been interesting, but certainly not easy. I spent about a month at home, living with my Mom and enjoying being around family and friends, catching up on their lives and sharing my mission experiences with them. I enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with them and realized just how much I missed my Mom's traditional Thanksgiving feast!

After a period of time, I began a search for employment to no avail. The economy hit Ohio pretty hard, so jobs were hard to come by. During this time, I was pondering on what I could do and felt the distinct impression that I needed to be in Salt Lake City, UT. I have learned from so many experiences on the mission that when the Lord commands, do it, so I have, otherwise you are on your own for guidance and forfeit the blessings He wants to provide to you. I've been in Utah now for about almost a month and can already feel the blessings flow from following the commandment given. I feel happier, more secure with my situation and stronger in my devotion and faith. (I did come home for Christmas though, I think my Mom would have disowned me if I didn’t). Over the weekend, I moved into an apartment. It's not much, but I have what I need and I'll be able to get 'luxuries' later.

I realized, over the holidays, just how important and cherished my missionary service during Christmas was to me. It was always so much more difficult to spread the gospel during the holidays because people always had other places to be or things to be doing, but it was amazing to help spread Holiday cheer and teach the true Spirit of Christmas. I was fortunate enough to participate in the purest and simplest gift-giving of the holidays, that of rendering help and serve. I am now seeking ways to do the same thing now that I am off my mission and I would challenge you, as well, to find ways to share the message of the Savior and His divine love to those around you and to help them feel the love and joy of the Savior, each and every day of the year. I just want you to know, that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's true Church once again established on the earth.I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.I know that the only way to true joy and happiness in this life and the life to come is found only through the gospel of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on our behalf. I know that the peace and joy felt by all, during the holiday seasons is in fact the Spirit of God and that can be felt year 'round by all who follow the commandments of God.

I love and miss the great people that I left behind in Ohio and Georgia. I truly miss all of the wonderful experiences that I had in Georgia during my missionary service. I hope I made a difference and touched as many lives and touched mine.

I apologize for waiting so long for a blog update since I've been home. I need to do better at keeping everyone informed and keeping on contact.

Danny's Impending Return

2008-10-27T19:20:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to post a quick note and let everyone know that Danny will be coming home on Wednesday!

I'm sure he'll update everyone when he returns :D

Posted by: Jon

Busy August

2008-08-11T13:37:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone! I pretty much just copied what I wrote to my Mom and sent it to you, hopefully you can follow along well enough. I don't have much time to elaborate on some things.

This was a crazy week! Early in the week, I watched as Elder Parker left for Macon and then on to home. It reminded me so much that I'm not too far behind and it's a crazy thought. I already miss him and can only look forward to talking to him and seeing him again soon. I worked with Elder Rice and Elder McKee (the other companionship in the apartment) the rest of the week, while we waited for Transfer Meeting on Friday.

Friday was Transfer Meeting. Pres. Bowman wanted to try a different setup than Pres. Evanson had previously implemented. Instead of using members to take us all up to Macon to meet, we met in three different places and we used the mission vehicles. When we got to the meeting, no one knew what was going on. Even though I didn't even know, I stepped up to help out as much as I could. Everything eventually worked out though, so I guess I can't complain.

My new companion is Elder Stoddard from Penryn, CA. He's a great guy and he'll keep me working all the way up until I head home. I found out earlier in the week, but on Friday, we officially took over another Zone, doubling our size. We are now in charge of 15 missionary companionships in like 8 cities around south Georgia. What that means is a LOT more work! We'll be gone at least one day a week (sometimes more) being in other areas, helping the work. The pressure will also still be on us to baptize and serve in Albany. Two more Elders were put in Albany, also, bringing the number to 6. With the traveling, we've been given more miles to cover such a large area & Zone.

I was really frustrated by all of the changes, especially since we've been totally left in the dark as to the changes until the minute we need to act. I didn't even get a phone call about our Zone doubling until Saturday morning, the day after I NEEDED to know... but the phone call from Pres. Bowman was actually really nice. He counciled with me and took my opinion and advice on matters related to such a large Zone. Then he paid me a compliment, telling me that I should look at this responsibility and added work as a measure of what he feels about me and my capabilities. It was nice to hear that, because previously he pretty much ignored me.

We also moved apartments. Because the other 4 Elders will be sharing a car it made no sense for us to live with one of those sets as we had previously done and required them to drive across town to exchange the car. We moved in where the Senior Sisters previously lived. It's a MUCH nicer place and we got all of the best furniture too! We spent part of Friday night and Saturday trying to get the apartment organized and then we spent a terrible amount of time on Saturday planning for the next six weeks. Since we have 4 District Leaders that report to us, it was almost a nightmare trying to get coordinated with them.

Yesterday was a good day, we kind of took it easy, seeing a couple of members and then going out to the Bishop's so the new missionaries could get to know the family.

Today, we're running a little late, because a member took us to WalMart today and bought us all kinds of things that we needed for the apartment (and groceries too). She spent over $400 on us. We tried to just buy what we needed and get the cheap stuff, but every time we did that, she would tell us to buy the nice stuff. It was so nice, as we would've had almost nothing without her. She kept telling us not to worry about it, because her and her husband were sitting really comfortably and this wouldn't even put a dent into their budget. It was like Christmas... but we barely splurged... except for some ice cream!

This week will be very busy. We leave tonight for Tifton, to catch a ride tomorrow to Macon for our Zone Leader meeting. That will take all day and we won't be home until late tomorrow. Then Wednesday we'll spend most of the day preparing for 2 almost identical meetings that we'll have to conduct on Thursday, one in Albany and one in Thomasville, GA. With all of the travel and meeting time, the whole day will be spent. Hopefully we'll get some time to see some people this week in between meetings and such. My last 12 weeks are going to fly right on by at this rate.

That's all for here.

Posted by: Jon

BLOG UPDATE!

2008-06-23T18:32:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry this blog update is so long in waiting. I've been really busy and keep forgetting to write an update about how things have been these past few months...

Well, in spite of the usual ups-&-downs of missionary life, things are going very well. I can't say everything is great, because it has truly been a roller coaster as of late. We have had a lot of great experiences, only to have bad ones happen just shortly later. The work is slow going here in Albany and every time we think things are starting to pick up, they drop off again. I have been doing my best to get lost in the duties of a missionary and continue to press forward as much as possible. Sometimes it is hard, but I just have to keep moving forward.

Over the past few months, the Albany Ward has been blessed to see two baptisms. My companion and I were able to help a 20 year-old guy be baptized in late May and then the other missionaries in our apartment were able to help a 9 year-old girl be baptized just this past weekend. It is always a blessing and an honor to take part, even a little bit, in helping someone come unto our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The four missionaries currently in the apartment have survived three months together but however, it is time for transfers and Elder Wayman will be leaving us this Thursday. He has spent the last 7 ½ months in Albany and is sad he has to go, but he is looking forward to continuing the work in a new area. We all hope the best for him and we hope we will receive a great replacement to help continue the work.

Elder Parker and I will be going on 4 1/2 months together in this assignment here in Albany. That is in addition to the 5 months we served together previously in the Mission Office in Macon. I am pretty sure we have long broken the record, in this mission, for the companions that have served together the longest. I love the guy and look forward to serving with him his last 6 weeks, as he will be leaving for home in early August. We will have a long and lasting friendship ahead of us and I look forward to our visits after the mission and into the future.

Also coming up this week the assignment for our current Mission President and Wife is over and the assignment for the new Mission President and Wife begins. A Mission President serves for three years over a mission in the Church, while regular missionaries serve 2 years (guys) or 18 months (girls). It has been sad these past few weeks to say good-bye to the Evanson's. They have become dear friends to me and I look forward to catching up with them after the mission. I was blessed to have worked with them almost on a daily basis in Macon and grew to love them and value all of the great traits that they have taught me, as well as great knowledge in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Evanson's will be leaving Friday afternoon, just shortly after the new Mission President and Wife arrive in Macon. The work will proceed forward and the mission will continue to grow under the new Mission President, I am sure of it.

The weather has been HOT and HUMID! There has been unseasonably hot weather that's come into Georgia over a month ago. We have been braving August like temperatures in early June and we only have the hottest parts of the summer to look forward to. We do our best to keep hydrated and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Luckily this is my last summer in Georgia. When I return home to Ohio, I'll laugh at the summers!

In May, on Mother's Day, I made my last phone call home before I return in October. It was wonderful to be able to talk to family and catch up with how everyone is doing. I get weekly updates from my Mom and Dad and occasional updates from other family members, but nothing beats actually talking to family and being able to truly find out how things are. I realize now, more than ever, the importance of families and how much joy they can (and should) bring into your life.

As far as 'lasts' go, it's been real interesting to think that I'm doing my 'last of' things a lot more lately. I only have a few months left and I have a lot of things to accomplish still. In my MTC District, we had 4 Sisters (as I said before, who only serve 18 months). They all went home in late May and it's very unsettling to think they are home. I really miss them all and grew to love them all like real sisters. It sounds like coming home can be a real struggle, trying to adjust to the 'normal' life again. I am sure it will be interesting for all of my friends and family to see the changes in me and how I react to the changing world that I did not get to see. I sure hope everyone has a little patience with me, and I am sure I will provide lots of comedic relief to those around me.

Well that is about it for this update. Everything continues to move forward, ever forward to October, which is coming up too fast. The work will bounce back here and we will have great success soon, I am sure of it. You should be seeing one last update to flickr with photos from my mission soon. I will be sending out the memory card today. It will be my last, because there really is no point in sending another home, I will just bring it in my luggage.

I love you all and miss you. I look forward to catching you up on what is going on with me real soon.

Posted by: Jon

Update After Recent Transfer

2008-04-21T19:40:00.003-06:00

Got an update today from Danny after his recent transfer. Enjoy!

Hey everyone!

I was recently transferred once again. I'm now in Albany, GA. Things are going good here in. The weather in Georgia has been very pleasant and in the mid-80's. I can't talk much though, even when it gets hot, because we have a full time car with a lots of miles. I don't believe I'll be on a bike the rest of my mission, as long as I learn to budget our miles well.

I'm serving again with a former companion, Elder Parker. He's an awesome guy and we had a great time serving together last time. We requested to serve together again, but didn't expect it to happen, because we had already been together for 5 months previously. But our Mission President said the Lord allowed it, so here we are. We're going to work hard to bring success to Albany and help the Ward grow in strength and size.

The past few weeks have brought a lot of new things, including attending some meetings in Macon, a few weeks ago to help Elder Parker and I move the work along in our area. We've also been going to other areas, to help strengthen the work there. We went to Tifton (my old area) last week to help the missionaries there strengthen the work, but we also were able to have some fun as well. We went up early Monday, our P-Day, and had lunch with all of the missionaries there, then went "Skittles" bowling (each color represents a different way to bowl.. none of which is normal). It helps to keep the competitiveness of bowling out of the way.

The rest of the week here was good. We've just been out working hard and trying to prepare people for Church and baptism. We have several promising people that will probably be getting baptized in May, so we're working hard to help them progress to those steps in their life. One of the guys we are teaching, invited his mother and sister into the lesson yesterday and began to help us teach them. That's always a good sign that someone is understanding, when they begin to help teach someone else. We hope to see great things from him soon. He's an awesome guy with a fun personality.

Our area in Albany is HUGE, because one of the missionary companionships that covered half the city has been removed because replacements couldn't be brought in, so we're covering two areas basically. We have a constant flow of people to see and things to do, so it's keeping things pretty interesting. I always enjoy the work better when we have too much to do, and not the other way around. I'd rather feel a little pressured then have a lot of down time that we have to fill finding people.

It's really hard to believe that I'm coming up on my 18 month mark, the 25th of this month. I'm trying not to count, but even when you try out here, things remind you all of the time that I have very little time left. Time is going so fast, it's hard to believe. I have so much I want to do still, and not enough time to do it all. I have to begin prioritizing and working hard to accomplish those things that are of most importance to me and those around me.

Elder Parker and I got some new "toys" a few weeks ago. All of the companionships in the mission received cell phones to help increase or efficiency. We're now about to be contacted like 95% of the world's population, on the go and in a moments notice.

We also picked up a brand new, 2008 Chevy Malibu in Macon at our meeting. It's sharp and fun to drive, but being a Honda fan, I can find flaws all over it. Chevy's design, quality and reliability aren't increasing much, even though they sure are trying to make it look like they are. Elder Parker and I are both Honda fans, and we can find quality issues and flaws everywhere (like the sharp corner near the front door openings that just about stab you when you get in our out). Chevy just doesn't think some things out and their plastics and such feel like they'll break with a good flick of the finger.

That's really about all that's happened in the last few weeks here in Albany. I have much more to tell about an experience in Tifton my last full week there, but it would take a full page of typing to tell it all. Let's just say for now, it was an incredibly enriching experience and I grew a lot from it. The hand of the Lord was definitely involved in making things happen and many people have been and will be blessed by the experience.

This is our off week from meetings and such, so it should be a quiet week were we can just work hard and see success. Hopefully good things will happen this week.

I hope this update finds you all well and happy. I love you all!

Posted by: Jon

Update for the Week

2008-03-10T09:11:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

I heard about the blizzard that arrived in Ohio, from some members here. I hope the 18 inches wasn't too much for you. We didn't even see a speck of snow, but it has been colder here.. in the mid-30's at night and mid-40's during the day. No kidding, mid-40's here, with the humidity feels like the high-20's. It's not hindered our work any though, we just head out anyhow.

This week was a busy one for us. It's what we call a Power Week. I had to complete it as a part of my training. Basically, I'm supposed to work harder, pray harder and sacrifice more in order to see successes in the work. And I'm tired! But we were successful. We found several great new people and we are working with a young couple to get them married and prepare them for baptism in late March. We have several other people that we hope to get committed for baptism in early April as well.

To add to all of our hard work from the week, I also had a really busy day at Church yesterday. I gave a lesson in one of the classes that we have (I was asked to give another, but delegated it to the Sister missionaries). Then with only about 2 hours of notice and 20 minutes of preparation time, I gave a 15 minute talk in Church. I'm so grateful for the Lord and his preparations and changes within me. Even a few months ago, I would still struggle in speaking in front of that many people, however, yesterday I wasn't even nervous. I was focused on my thoughts and what I wanted to share and I was able to share them clearly and correctly. It's just one of the many ways that, lately, I've noticed the growth within me.

As for things with my new companion, things are going really well. He's a little rigid at times and has trouble being sociable, but he has a desire to change and I'm working diligently with him to help him become a more people person and to get out of his rigid shell (no kidding, I had to MAKE him slouch in his chair one day... just to see if he could do it. It looked painful for him...seriously). He's doing well and making the adjustments. In two short weeks, I've already been able to see great progress in him and I'm really enjoying helping to make him a better all-around person.

We had been working really hard to get a Spanish-speaking guy baptized on the 15th, but he disappeared on us. He was struggling to find a good-paying job, and we don't know if he left town to find something better, or what. It's been a real struggle to teach him with members and other missionaries that speak Spanish. It would just be easier to not teach him and help him get baptized, but if it's his desire to come to the Lord, we'll do everything in our power to help him do that.

Last weekend, I was also asked to perform a baptism for a lady the Sister missionaries were teaching here in Tifton. She is a larger lady and I was concerned that I would have difficulty in safely lowering her into the water and then bringing her back up, so I asked for someone else to assist me with the baptism. However, I was able to successfully perform the baptism without any difficulties. It's always great to attend or take part in a baptism!

Hopefully you all are enjoying the last little bit of winter before spring arrives (that's right around the corner.. I promise!) It's also a great time of year to think about the Savior as we approach this Easter season. I'm so grateful for the sacrifice that He has made for each and every one of us, that allows us the opportunity to return to live with God and experience all of the joy and happiness that God wants for us in this life. I hope you all take some time this year, away from the Easter-egg hunts, peeps and cadbury eggs (that means you Jon!) and think about the Savior and His love for you. I know that as you do so, you'll feel His abiding love and you will draw closer to Him. I also know that through that love, you'll feel so much peace and joy in this life.

That's really about all for now. Things are going very well for me as I hit the home-stretch of my mission. Those of you who are counting the days... don't EVER inform me of how much I have left... it's going too fast! I have too much still to do and not enough time left to do it.

This week shouldn't be as busy for us, but I guess we'll just see.

Love ya!

Danny

Posted by: Jon

February Update from District Leader Dilts

2008-02-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Things are going great in Tifton. It's great to be back and I really enjoy this area so much. The members and the people are so wonderful. There is truly southern hospitality here in south Georgia. We are working hard and enjoying being in the service of the Lord. The weather here has been a roller coaster, hot one day, cold the next, but it's beautiful. I sure I'm not allowed to complain because we don't have any snow and I'm sure Ohio is seeing its fair share.

Things the past few weeks have been very busy and the time has moved fast, with the exception of this week, which seemed a little slow, in spite of all of the things that we had scheduled. We had a large meeting to attend last Monday, with a General Authority from our Church. He spoke for several hours and helped to motivate us to work hard and increase our faith in the Savior. Motivation is a struggle for some missionaries some times, especially if they are dejected a lot or for a long period of time, or perhaps if they just seem to be going through the paces of missionary work without putting for a lot of feeling and desire. It was a very good meeting and quite motivating.

Then on Wednesday, I conducted my first District Meeting as a District Leader. It was really good (from what everyone says) and I trained well on the topics that I was given. I had so much information to use as a resource, that I was almost swimming in the information, but I feel that I pulled it all together well. I worked hard to motivate my District and move them in the right direction and it seems to be paying off. We had a terrific week, after a few rough weeks in a row. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue to rely on the Lord for further direction to move this District forward.

We also had several baptisms and a funeral to attend on Saturday. It was kind of weird to watch both a life come to an end and two lives begin unto Christ in the same day. The baptisms were for a 8 year old child of a father in the Ward and also for a convert that the Sister missionaries here have been teaching. The funeral was for President Hinkley, the Church President that passed away last Sunday. It was a great and sad day. Pres. Hinkley is in a much better place and the funeral services for him were great, but I'll miss him. I always loved his counsel and guidance. Because he was the President when I was baptized, he has been the only Church President that I have known. I'll continue to study and learn about this great man's wise counsel and look forward to the guidance of the new Church President that will be selected this week.

We also committed a young guy here to baptism on on Feb. 16th. He's the 18 year old grandson of a member in the Tifton Ward. He's a very humble kid and wants to do well in life. We are struggling with him a little though, because, as most 18 year old guys, he's never really had much responsibility, so we are trying to work with him to recognize his need to be responsible and do the right things, the things that he's told us that he wants to do.

Other than that, things are going well. There hasn't been much change of our regular missionary activities from week to week. We are struggling with getting people to keep the commitments that we are leaving them. We are teaching several great people, but it's frustrating that they keep skipping out on appointments and not doing those things that they promised that they would do. I guess it's lessons like this that teach patience and reliance on the Lord and His timetable.

That's really about all for now. Time is flying right on by! I can't believe that I've been in Tifton for a month now. I hope things are going well back home (I wouldn't know, because I don't get many letters anymore), and everyone is staying warm! Expect a BUNCH of new photos to be added to flickr soon!

Danny

Posted by: Jon

Pieces of an Update

2008-01-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is a pieced together blog update that Danny sent. Its basically a summary of the past month or so.

It's time for another blog update, this one just in time for me to leave the office and head out to my new assignment...back to Tifton, GA! I requested specifically to go back to Tifton, because I enjoyed the area and the people there so much. I'm looking forward to getting back to work there and seeing further success. I've been in the Mission Office for the past 8 months. I'll really miss the people here in Macon and those that I have worked with, but it's time to move on and experience new (or old) things again.

I have to apologize because I just don't have the time right now to catch everyone up on everything that has gone on since the last update, but here is a brief summary. Sorry!!

Over the past several weeks, we've celebrated Christmas and New Years. Both were fun holidays in the mission. It's awesome to talk and teach people about Christ around the Christmas season. Everyone has a bit of the Christmas spirit and they are more receptive to learn about Him.

It’s been busy with Zone Conference and getting ready to leave Macon. It's been very busy and I'm looking forward to things slowing down a little. It was freezing in Augusta and Savannah, weather in the teens, which is very much not like Georgia, but we braved the cold and were able to accomplish everything that we needed to do. Elder Smith is doing a great job and Elder Clark seems to be totally up to speed finally. I hope they will work well together and can see continued success in Macon. I'll pretty much get to see Elder Smith for the remainder of my mission, at least one day every 6 weeks. We expect him to be in the office for just as long as I was here (8 months).

We're also all set for the baptisms this afternoon. We have to leave here in a little while and head over to the Church to begin filling the font. It'll take several hours to fill it with warm water, so the three people we are baptizing don't freeze to death.

Our new years was good and we got to relax for maybe the third day in 1 1/2 weeks... nice mini-vacation

It sure sounds like things have been cold back home. I guess I'm glad I'm not there right now. It's been chili here too, but I can't complain about 40 degree weather... except all of my heavy coats are still in Macon and I won't get them until next Monday, but it's not been too bad.

The new leadership responsibilities does bring some added tasks to complete, but it doesn't generally take too much time, just mostly in the evening when I have to make phone calls it everyone in my District. We also went to Moultrie, GA for what's called an 'exchange' where I work with the missionaries there to help encourage them and help them teach better.

In Tifton, we've just been out trying to find people and teach them. We found 10 new people to teach last week and hopefully we can find some more. We want to have at least one baptism in February, so we are doing everything we can to make that happen.

This week is already looking busy with appointments and other assignments. We are having our Zone Meeting on Friday in Albany, GA and I'll be required to go to the leadership meeting. It sounds like there are a lot of changes coming, because Pres. Evanson has recently attended a Mission President's meeting. My time in the mission is just flying right on by.

I love you all and hope all is well back home in the blistery cold of Ohio!

Love,

Danny

Post by: Rod

Transfer Update

2008-01-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Danny was to be transfered shortly after the new year. I have now received word that the transfer did take place, and he is back in the Tifton, GA area. There wasn't a whole lot of information passed on, but I'm sure Danny will get a letter sent out to update everyone further.

posted by: Jon

Holiday Update

2007-12-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

I received an update from Danny. Enjoy!

First off, I want to apologize for not sending any kind of update in November. It's been the first month since I've been on my mission that I've forgotten to at least send a little something. I didn't even realize that November came and went without an update until the other day. Hopefully this post will catch everyone up with how and what I've been doing since the last post. I'll work backwards from this past week to the previous update.

This past week was a very busy week with transfers and the arriving and departing missionaries, but it was really good. Most of the week is spent preparing for and assisting the departing missionaries with their transition home and the arriving missionaries with their transition into the mission. We attend the arriving missionaries' dinner on Wednesday, which is always delicious (roast beef… Mom, I'm sending you the recipe!), then stay for a devotional and games. It's a fun night to make the new missionaries feel welcome and at home, before they head out to their first area in the mission field.

We also had some great success this week. We've committed 4 people to baptism in December. We committed a mother, Stephanie, and her two kids, Aaron and Kaitlyn to baptism on December 29th. They are a great family that has been coming out to church for many months now and has finally agreed to have the missionaries come teach them. We committed them during our second lesson a week ago. Stephanie was introduced to the Church through some friends who are members in another city nearby. She's been studying the gospel on her own for the past several months and things finally just clicked for her a few weeks ago. We also had a 19 year old guy named Donovan committed for December 15^th (which has since been pushed back a few weeks). We were teaching him when I first got here 6 months ago, but he went on a vacation (which was supposed to last 3 weeks, but that had extended about 3 months), so we lost contact. He's a great kid from southern California and he has a lot of friends that are LDS, so joining the Church should be an easy transition for him.

All of this success followed three very difficult weeks in relation to missionary work and two weeks on the road for Zone Conference. Elder Clark and I have been working very hard these past six weeks to find new people to teach and to see success, however, it was a very disappointing time for us. I've never, in my time on a mission, seen such struggles in missionary work. For three weeks, we had so much struggle trying to get people to keep appointments. Part of missionary work is people skipping out on appointments that you set, either because they forget or they really weren't interested and couldn't bring themselves to tell us the truth, that's just something we come to expect and overcome. However, those three weeks of work were the worst that I have seen for missed appointments. Over a three week period we had dozens of appointments scheduled, but only two or three were actually kept. It was a miserable time, but it taught me a great deal about perseverance. If we hadn't continued to press forward and work hard, we wouldn't be seeing the success that we currently have, I know that. The Lord was willing to bless us for our hard work and diligence. Sometimes you have to live through trials and frustrations, before good things happen. It's the Lord's way of making sure you truly want what you're asking for and are willing to work and sweat for it. We've definitely been willing and trying to work hard and so the Lord sent additional blessings our way to help us out.

After those tough weeks, things really turned around and it's great to see. Just after those three difficult weeks, we spent a great deal of time on the road for Zone Conference tour. Because of Thanksgiving, instead of just spending Tuesday through Thursday on the road the first week of Zone Conference, we added an additional day and traveled from Douglas to Augusta, GA, a four hour trip, Thursday night. It made for a much longer week and we were all very tired, but it was fun. On the way from Douglas to Augusta, we saw some cotton fields that were ready to pick. We'd been looking for the last several trips, so we could get the traditional photos in a cotton field. When we stopped to take photos, our Mission President saw us and also stopped to get a few photos. I'll try to have them sent home in time for Christmas. It's the only "white Christmas" Georgia really has. We also stopped in Vidalia, GA on the way, where several in our group had previously served, and had dinner with some members, before heading on to Augusta. We got back late Friday night from the first week of Zone Conference. Then the following week, instead of heading out the night before, like we usually do, we left early Tuesday morning for Savannah, attended conference and headed back home. It made for a long day, but it was worth it to work our area Monday night, because that is when we made contact with Donovan again.

Later that week, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Macon. We started the day off with a leaf raking service project. All of the missionaries serving in Macon, as well as several other members of the Ward gathered together to rake leaves at the homes of two widows in the Ward. We spent almost 2 hours completing the service, before heading back over to the Church for Turkey Bowl 2007! We had a great time playing football. There were about 18 of us, including our Mission President and his sons that were in town for the holidays. I was on the losing team, however, but the final score was 10 touchdowns to 9. The good news is that only one person was injured, but the bad news is that person was Pres. Evanson. He took a hard fall trying to catch a ball and bumped his head pretty good. He was a little woozy for a while, but recovered to enjoy the remainder of the day.

Then in the afternoon, after we got cleaned up, we headed over to the Mission Home for a good, traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I say traditional, because southern Thanksgiving isn't what I am used to, and it's what I experienced last year. There aren't the usual foods that most people up north have, like sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. In the south not many people serve those types of dishes for Thanksgiving, but Sis. Evanson knows how to cook traditional meals and it was delicious (though I still miss my Mom's pumpkin pie)! We then decided to hang around at the home and play games and just relax and enjoy each other's company, which is something we seldom get to do. We ended up spending about 7 hours at the Mission Home. While it wasn't home, it felt more like home than anywhere else I've been since I've been on my mission.

Now that Thanksgiving is come and gone, it's about time for Christmas. The South is doing it's best to look like Christmas and the holidays, but it's just not the same without the snow. I think the people of the South feel the same way, because decorations were up REALLY early this year. I think people try to get into the Christmas spirit by putting up decorations earlier. Some decorations were up two weeks before Thanksgiving! It is nice to see all of the lights and such around and the bell ringers at the stores.

I'll be in Macon for Christmas and the New Year. We already have several people that have invited us over to enjoy the holidays with them, including another great dinner expected at the Mission Home. I was expecting to leave Macon at the most recent transfer, however, that didn't happen after all. I had the opportunity, a few weeks ago, to tell Pres. Evanson if I wanted to stay or go. He pulled me into his office and told me that he wasn't receiving any specific inspiration from the Lord on if I should stick around in the office for another transfer or head out to another area (sometimes the Lord wants us to use our judgment). So we talked for a while and I expressed that I really wanted to go out and be a regular missionary again, but at the same time I didn't want to leave the office in shaky hands. At the time, I didn't know if I could train my replacement with the few days I would have had to train him, because there are several new processes that I have started since being in the office and for someone with only a little computer experience, it would take quite a while to train them. It is a difficult situation for me, because I really want to leave and get back to serious missionary work, but I can't leave the office in inexperienced hands. President Evanson told me that he would ponder on things for a little longer and pray about it and let me know what he's decided. I knew by the end of the first week of Zone Conferences when my replacement wasn't pulled into the office that I would be here for another few weeks. It just means that I get to enjoy the holidays with people that I know well and love and with the recent blessings of several baptismal commitments, things certainly are going our way. I'm grateful for the Lord's blessings upon the work and the direction that he provides in the missionary work.

Pres. Evanson did assure me that at the end of this current transfer, that there would be some big changes and they would be very good and make me happy. I don't know exactly what he means, but we'll just have to wait for January 10^th (the next transfer) and see. I'm really looking forward to leaving the office, though, and get back out to some serious missionary work. I'm not going to count down the days until I head out, I'm sure with the holidays they'll fly past soon enough. From what I hear, the office will be very busy during the holidays and since part of my duties include forwarding and sorting the mail, I'm going to be extra busy. I'm sure there will be four or five times the mail and packages come through. I'm going to have to figure out a way to sort it all and keep it out of my way, so that we don't have to climb over it all when we are trying to get to our desks.

I'm looking forward to the weeks leading up to Christmas being busy. I love the Christmas season, but it was the hardest for missionary work last year. It's sad, everyone wants to talk about Jesus, but no one has time for Him during the holidays. He truly is the reason for the season and I'm glad that, while I'm out here, I'm not caught up in all of the worldliness of it all. I wish people would understand that the greatest Gift they could ever receive entered the world over 2000 years ago, if they are willing to accept Him into their lives. Oh well... I guess that's what I'm here for, to help people find Him and get to know Him better.

Those that leave the office get to request where they go and generally get what they ask for. I've really been thinking about it a lot, and I think I want to go back to Tifton, where I started my mission. I loved it there, but at the time I was ready to leave. There are so many great members there and so much work to do there, that I'd love to go back and really get to work. The other places I requested were the Steven's Creek area of Augusta or Beaufort, South Carolina. Both of those areas are connected to leadership positions that I don't know if I'll receive or if I've earned, so we'll see what happens. Pres. Evanson just asked me if there were areas that I would like to serve or have heard are good to serve in, so I was honest with him of my desires. He told me that I've done a lot of good for the office, so he wants to do what he can to make me happy. I hope that whatever he has in store for me, I'll be able to live up to and go forward.

Anyhow, that's about all that's been going on. I just wanted to share some thoughts of things that I've learned on a mission. First, it's amazing how a mission will change you over time, if you'll let it. For example, my perspective and attitude towards some of the people that I've served with or around has changed dramatically over time. At first, I might not have liked them much, even though I tried, or they might have been frustrating to me for various reasons, but as I've worked with them, prayed with them and gotten to know them better, and strove to love them and appreciate them, those small things get overlooked, and a great sense of love comes in. I'm trying hard to look at everyone as a son or daughter of God and see the love that He has for them. While I'm still not great at doing this for everyone, I'm getting better.

Something else that I've learned is that all great things require sacrifice of some sort. If we want to do great things in life, like get an education, have a great career or start a family, it requires a sacrifice of some sort. Think about it, a good education requires a sacrifice of time and money… time that could have been spent being a 20-something youth or money that could be spent on other, more entertaining things. However, the supposed "sacrifice" generally turns out to not be a real sacrifice after all, when everything is said and done. It might seem like a sacrifice at the time, but the benefits and blessings far outweigh anything that might be considered a sacrifice. Like money spent on college leading to a good career that will make us more money than if we didn't have that education.

This rule of sacrifice is the same for coming unto the Lord. He always requires sacrifices of us, not just because it shows our willingness to follow Him, but also because He's asking no more of us, than He has already done for us, when He willingly and lovingly sacrificed His life on behalf of all that have lived, are living or will ever live. Why should giving up some small things for the Lord come as such a surprise to those that want to know more about Him or be more like Him? Perhaps because we wish for things to be easy, however, it was never easy for Him. Sacrifice is a necessary part of the gospel. The Savior sacrificed his life for us, why shouldn't we sacrifice the worldly and harmful things in our lives for the good of the gospel and the love of the Lord? That's something that I'm trying to incorporate into my own life, as well as trying to teach that principle of the gospel to others. The one great thing about sacrifice is that with all sacrifice come great blessings. Here I am, sacrificing two years of my life, where I could be doing any number of other things, like finishing my education, starting a family or just relaxing. But instead I'm spending that time serving a mission for the Lord, but it's also for the good of the people that I'm serving and myself. I've been blessed in so many ways. This past Thanksgiving season has helped me to realize that. There is no place that I could learn more about life, the gospel, and people more than on a mission. There is no better place that I can use my talents and abilities to bless the lives of others and to do good. I love helping people and seeing the joy in their lives as we serve and teach them. It's been a tremendous blessing to me that hopefully others can and will recognize that in my life.

I celebrated my 1 year anniversary in the mission a few months ago, as my last update recognized, and the past couple of months have just passed by like a blur. I only hope to make the best use of the time I have remaining in the service of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I've learned so much, but I have so much left to learn. The same goes with serving and helping people. There are so many more people for me to touch and influence for good.

So again, I apologize for the much anticipated and totally overdue update. I also apologize for the length and hopefully you didn't get bored and pass out half-way through (you wouldn't be reading this part anyhow...), but I love you all and hope you have a happy and wonderful Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Make sure you take the time to enjoy the holiday season with your family and friends! As they say in the south… Have a Blessed Day!

posted by: Rod

One Year Update

2007-10-26T10:34:00.001-06:00

Just received a one year update from Danny and wanted to pass it on as soon a possible!

Well, I celebrated my one year anniversary this past week, and I thought I would send out a good update with news and information for the past several weeks.

First of all, things are going well here in Macon. I've been here 5 months now and I'll be here at least 6 ½ months before I'm transferred. When I'll go and where is yet to be seen. I'll be here at least through Thanksgiving, which will be nice to celebrate with the great people of Macon. We already have an invitation to attend one Thanksgiving dinner and I'm sure there will be more before the big day arrives. Some days I think it would be nice to spend Christmas here as well, but that would mean that I would be here for 8 months total, and I'm not sure I want to stay that long. I'll just have to wait and see what the Lord and the future provides.

Transfer meeting was last week, and with that, I saw the departure of Elder Parker, my companion for 5 months. I never thought I would serve with someone that long, but I couldn't have asked for a better companion to serve with for that length of time. He's been a great friend and a wonderful person to be around. I look forward to seeing him again on our Zone Conference tours later in November and then keeping in touch with him after the mission. He's serving in Beaufort, South Carolina now and I wish him the best.

For those of you keeping up, I trained an Elder back in February, named Elder Smith. He is another great guy and someone that I really enjoyed serving with. He's considered my "boy" in missionary lingo, because I trained him in the mission field and I'm his "dad". Well I became a "grandfather" the other day when Elder Smith began to train an Elder Thompson, from North Las Vegas, NV, who arrived in Georgia last Wednesday. Since we get to attend the dinner for arriving missionaries, I was about to meet my "grandson" there and welcome him to the mission, though I didn't know who my "boy" would be training until the next morning at transfer meeting (it's a secret for some unknown reason until it's announced at transfer meeting). From the sounds of things, Elders Smith and Thompson are doing very well together; however, the work in their area is hard going. But they are working hard and striving to see success with their efforts.

We've also been working very hard in Macon the last few weeks. We are trying to double our efforts here so that we can see a great amount of success. Elder Clark, my new companion, and I want to see at least 2 baptisms together here in Macon. We have been teaching some really great people and have found several new people to teach lately. We've been focusing on getting to know these people; finding out what they want in life and helping them reach that goal, through the Savior, Jesus Christ. As we focus on the people and not on a number, we know we'll see more success and feel the joy of bringing them to the Savior. I'll have to keep you posted on our results.

Just to fill you in on what I've been doing since the last blog update: We've completed another round of Zone Conference tours. This one came with some noteworthy events. The first is a tire blowout on our trailer while heading down I-75 on our way to the first stop of the tour. We were heading down to Tifton, GA to visit with a Church member quickly before heading on to Albany, GA. We were about half way to Tifton, when the tire tread of the passenger side tire totally gave out and the trailer started to bounce happily down the road. I was driving and pulled over quickly to access the damage. The tire tread had totally buckled the fender and the tire was trashed. It took us about an hour to put on the spare, bend the fender back into shape and then stop and get air into the tires to make sure they were properly inflated. We ended up having to skip the visit with the member because of the delay.

We ended up making it safely to Albany that night. Then, in the morning, we further assessed the damages and took a good look at the other tire on the trailer. It too was showing some serious wear issues and after careful review, we decided to make the attempt to drive on it to Douglas, GA, our next stop, where we have a Church member that owns a tire shop that could help us out. But… we didn't make it before that driver's side tire blew out as well. The trailer began hoping and bouncing just as we arrived in Tifton, so we pulled into the Wal-Mart near by and sought their services, however they didn't have tires for trailers, so they sent us to a Redneck local tire shop a few miles down the road that we had to rush to before they closed. So they got us all setup and we were back on the road to Douglas, without any further tire issues. It's pretty lousy that we inspect all of the automobiles in the mission for preventative maintenance and tire wear, but none of us bothered to check the trailer for the same. But we've learned our lesson and we made it safely home and the trailer was able to make the second leg of the tour the next week with out any problems.

In Augusta, during the second week of the Zone Conference tour, we had a few minutes and were able to drive down the road to see the Augusta National Golf Course and quickly get photos at the main gate before security had any opportunity to run us off (which we hear happens pretty often). There is a tall fence around the entire course, and you can only see just a tiny amount of the course from even the main gate. But we took photos quickly and hoped back into the car and off we went. We also got photos of what is supposed to be Bill Gate's Augusta home. A member told one of us that he maintains it only for the Master's Tournament each year. It was pretty nice, but definitely questionable as to if it truly is his house or not.

Also this past month, I had the opportunity to attend a baptism in my former area of Milledgeville. The baptism was for a man named Mark, who is a father of a family that I had taught there several months ago. His wife and daughter were baptized while I was serving in Milledgeville, but it took him a little longer to accept the gospel and take that step of faith and be baptized.

Elder Parker and I both rode over to Milledgeville with President Evanson, our Mission President. I had informed the Elders that are serving in Milledgeville, the Saturday morning before the baptism that I would be able to attend, but I guess they didn't pass on the word to Mark. Anyhow, when I walked into the Church, he didn't notice me. I said hello to a few members that I knew and grew close to while I was serving there and then noticed that Mark was taking photos before the baptism. When I walked over, one of the Elders in Milledgeville asked me to step in, and that's when Mark noticed me. He turned and quickly gave me a handshake and a big hug and then I got a few photos (which are now on the my flickr photos page).

It was great to be back and emotions ran high for everyone there. I almost cried witnessing the baptism and being a part of it. You could see the joy and excitement in the eyes of Mark and his wife and daughter. Mark had originally wanted me to baptism him, but Pres. Evanson wouldn't allow it, not because he wouldn't want to see it, but it would open up that proverbial "can of worms", since he'd be letting a missionary go back to an old area and baptize, which other missionaries never get to do. It's just a product of logistics and mission rules. But since I was in the office, and nearby in Macon, and President was heading that way anyhow, he let me attend. I didn't care if I was doing the baptizing, as long as I was there to witness it.

We taught Mark and his family for months while I was in Milledgeville and he was almost ready to be baptized before I left, but he had a few hang ups. It took him from May to September to finally decide to be baptized, but it was wonderful to finally see it happen. They were so excited to see me, that they asked Pres. Evanson if I could stay and attend Church in Milledgeville the next day…which of course I couldn't, but it was nice of them to have asked. Anyhow, it was a great time and I'm so thankful to be able to attend. I've also been informed that their son Josh is also going to be baptized this coming weekend. We weren't able to get Josh to sit down with us and let us teach him while I was there, but the missionaries have continued to work with him and he's decided to be baptized and enjoy the blessings of being a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ, like the rest of the family.

That's really about all of the eventful things that have happened the past few weeks. We are currently working with several promising and wonderful people and striving to work hard to teach the gospel as much as we can. Our activities in the Mission Office always seem to pull us away from regular missionary work, but we are doing our best to stay focused on the people and see success as a result. It's always a blessing to be a part of other people's lives and see the affect that our Savior and His gospel has on them as we teach them and they accept the message that we share. We look forward to continued success and blessings for all of those that we meet.

The weather here has also started to turn chilly. It's been really nice and a much anticipated departure from the hot and muggy days of the Georgia summers. It's actually been unseasonably cold and very low humidity, but it's been wonderful. As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, it feels a little more like home with the cold weather. The leaves will soon begin to turn colors and fall and it'll soon be time for the holiday season. I look forward to the holidays and being able to call home soon.

That's all the updates that I have for now. I hope this update finds you all happy, healthy and eagerly anticipating the wonderful holiday season. Love ya!

Posted by: Jon

New Photos posted

2007-10-11T09:38:00.000-06:00

There have been new photos posted on Danny's flickr page. Take a look here!

September Update

2007-09-25T11:36:00.000-06:00

I received this update from Danny today. He was sure to appologize for the lack of updates, but he's just been so busy! He also indicated that there will be more pictures forthcoming, so watch for those to be posted real soon. Without Further ado, here's the update:

****************************************************

Wow... so I'm sorry, first of all, for not sending more regular updates. I should be doing this at least every 2 weeks, but from the looks of things, it's been about once a month. I'll do my best to bring you up to speed on how things have been and what my activities are. Here goes...

Since my last update, we completed the final leg of my third Zone Conference tour, while in the office. It was a relatively cool week, the last week of the tour, which was nice to complete the various tasks required on all of the automobiles. We were able to get done so early on Wednesday of the tour, that Elder Parker and I took a quick trip to famous River Street in Savannah, and cross a very large suspension bridge into South Carolina, just to say we've been there, in case our Mission assignments don't take us there. It was really cool to see some of the historic Savannah area, but we didn't even see a fraction of what there is to offer. It'll definitely be a place I'll have to visit again sometime, either on my mission or when I return home. We took a lot of photos and you should be expecting a photo update in the next week or so, as soon as I can send out my memory card.

The next we had transfer week, which is always very busy with too many tasks here to list. It's always nice to see new missionaries arrive and feel of their excitement and spirit. The new group will bring a lot of strength to the mission and I'm looking forward to hearing about their good works and experiences. Transfer week, however, also is a time to say good-bye to a veteran group of Elders that have served out their full 24 months. It's always hard to say good-bye, but it's a start to a new opportunity for those that have served the Lord well and will take what they've learned and experienced home with them to better their lives.

And the last several weeks have been our three week "break" if you will, where we have daily responsibilities in the office and the regular missionary work. It's a relaxing time, only in that we aren't living out of a suitcase and a large Ford E-350 van (which is a beast to drive). We're still out working hard and trying to bring people to the gospel. Each companionship in the mission had a goal to bring at least 1 new person to the gospel for the month of September and see them enter the waters of baptism. While Elder Parker and I won't see a baptism in September, we have several promising people that are preparing for that event in October and November. We look forward to continued success in the Macon area.

The temperatures have started to cool off. A couple of weeks ago, it was down right chilly in the morning, with a couple of 55-60 degree mornings, but it has started to warm up again, for it's last stand before fall. We've been getting mid-90's this week.

Just to let you know of some other events that have taken place the past few weeks, we attended a Low Country Boil on September 8th. It was hosted in celebration of a birthday for the father of a much respected individual from the Macon Ward. There was good food and good 'ol southern gospel music sung. A Low Country Boil is where corn-on-the-cob, sausage, potatoes and shrimp are cooked in butter on a low boil, until it's ready to serve, then it's served spread out on a table for you to dish up. (I have a photo.. don't worry) It's a good 'ol southern tradition that I'm glad to say I was able to experience.

Also, this past Saturday, I was able to return to my old area of Milledgeville, to attend a baptism for Mark Pruitt, the father of a family that I helped teach and baptize while I was in Milledgeville. Mark had been taught all of the missionary lessons while I was there and was prepared for baptism, but had some items that he felt he wanted to address first. It's taken him several months to work through those items, but he finally made the decision to be baptized on late August.

President Evanson juggled his schedule around and allowed Elder Parker and I to attend as a part of our Preparation day activities. It was great to be able to return and to visit with those people that I came to know well and developed friendships with. I was well received and it was a surprise for all that I was there. When I first walked in, Mark was getting photos taken and I was asked to step in, without him seeing that I had walked into the church. When he noticed me, he immediately turn and gave me a big handshake and a hug. It was awesome to be a part of his conversion and the emotions ran high. His wife and daughter were very excited and very happy to finally have their husband/father come to the Lord through baptism.. what a sight!

Finally, Elder Parker's replacement should be picked up, from the mission field, sometime this week or early next, depending on what area he's currently serving in. Elder Parker needs about 2-3 weeks to train his replacement on all of the car duties and operations, as well as the computer system and procedures for the automobiles. Our fleet of 47 cars takes a lot of time to keep running well and without any maintenance issues. It'll be sad to see Elder Parker go. I've been serving with him for 4 months and it'll be 5 months by the time he enters the field again. He'll probably be the companion I serve with the longest and I've gotten along with him very well. He's a great Elder and a true friend. Hopefully his replacement will continue the hard work and great spirit that are brought to the office and the apartment by Elder Parker.

Oh, and as several of my family and friends have reminded me lately... today is my 11 month anniversary in the Mission. I'm in that weird point in the mission where it seems that all I can remember is mission and all I have ahead of me is mission. It's interesting how the dynamics of the mission experience change over time. With each passing day, there is a sense of urgency to get out and share the gospel, to introduce people to the Savior and to help them make the changes in their lives that bring them the greatest peace and happiness that can be found in this life.

I miss you all back home and hope everything is going well in your lives. Things are great here and continue to roll forth.

Posted by: Jon

End Of The Month Update

2007-08-26T10:20:00.000-06:00

Danny wanted another update posted this month. Here is what he sent.

Our week was good. We did have a hot one and we were on Zone Conference tour, where we have to tour around south Georgia and inspect and do repairs on all of the mission vehicles. Luckily, Elder Parker and I changed up how we worked on the cars, so that all of the strenuous stuff was done in the morning before it got too hot or humid. We still had several nails in tires that we had to remove and repair.. that's the most strenuous things we do.. we were both dripping with sweat, but it's just something that has to be done. We do what we can to stay hydrated and cool.

On Thursday, we were in Douglas, GA and a thunderstorm had passed through just a couple of hours before, in the night, so there was no humidity in the morning at all, and it was only in the 80's. It almost felt COOL! We were able to get everything done before noon, and it was a really relaxing day. Traveling has been fun. We've all been traveling in the same van this time. If you remember, last time we had to drive several vehicles to drop some off throughout the mission. I'm starting to enjoy being around the other Elders more. Sometimes it can be difficult to get along with all of the Elders you're basically forced to spend time with, but with a little bit of patience and love, everything can be smoothed out. That's what this past week has brought. I've learned to be more patient with people and do my best to enjoy others and the situation that I'm in. I just need to see things from other people's perspectives and appreciate his good qualities and ignore the bad ones. We do what we can to have fun and enjoy our time on the road. We normally have a few traditions, such as stopping at Wal-Mart on the way out of town to stock up on some traveling food, and things like that. One of the traditions is playing basketball in Douglas, GA after we set up for the meeting. We played so much on Wednesday night, we were all soaking through our clothes.. but it was a lot of fun. I'm still aching a little from the workout though.

So.. now to inform you about the baptisms.

One thing I know I haven't mentioned before is how shy the two boys, Michael and Brandon, are. It's taken about three months to get Michael to say much of anything to us, and we were stopping over at least twice a week for a long time. He's just really reserved around any new people. Brandon isn't as shy, but he still can be sometimes. Well anyhow, we had their last lesson on Friday before their baptismal interview. The lesson went well and even the interview was pretty good. Two Elders from Warner Robins, GA came up to do the interviews and the boys did surprisingly well with two total strangers. Well the boys were excited Friday night for the baptism the next afternoon. Then today, Victoria, their mom, and the boys were running late for the 1:30pm baptism. Then, when they showed up, both Brandon and Michael said they didn't want to be baptized. Victoria had to drag Brandon into the bathroom to get changed and Michael sat down and wouldn't budge in the hallway. It took us over 45 minutes to get them to agree to be baptized. It wasn't that they didn't want to be baptized, but they didn't realize how many people would be there to see them be baptized. When we perform a baptize we have doors that open on the font just before the ceremony, so everyone can witness it, then the doors are closed again right afterwards. Well, we were finally able to get them baptized, by agreeing to not open the doors to the font. So instead of the audience witnessing the baptism, it was only Victoria, Pres. Evanson, the Macon Bishop and myself witnessing the baptism and Elder Parker baptizing. We had the baptismal service afterwards, which is just a couple of talks and such on baptism and the Holy Ghost.

It was, BY FAR, the most difficult baptism and probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do in my life or at least on my mission. I was so stressed (first real time on my mission, mind you) and worried. I had no idea what to do, or how to help them out. Thankfully Pres. Evanson stepped in and helped us to talk to the boys and explain to them how easy it would be and that it was only like a small bathtub or swimming pool (and the boys love to swim). When it was all said and done, we went to DQ for some ice cream with the boys, and they started feeling better about everything. I feel good knowing they went through with it, I was just nervous that they really didn't want to be baptized. It wasn't that.. it was they were scared/shy about all of the people being around.

This next week is the second leg of the Zone Conference tour, and then it's Transfer week. We'll be really busy, but it helps the time to fly right on by. Today was my 10 month anniversary in on a mission and it's so hard to believe it's been that long! That's really all for now. I hope you all are having a good summer! Fall is just around the corner and I can't wait for the heat to break!

Posted by: Rod

Photo from Last Saturday's Baptism

2007-08-11T08:32:00.000-06:00

Here's just a quick photo from the baptism that Danny had last Saturday.

Pictured is Victoria, her boyfriend Robbie and her three boys, Julian, Brandon & Michael, along with President Evanson.

The baptismal service was very spiritual and everyone enjoyed themselves!

August Update from Danny

2007-08-05T16:43:00.000-06:00

Well, as usual, it's been another busy couple of weeks. We had departing missionaries in the office on last Tuesday, and then arriving missionaries at the mission home, the next day, Wednesday night.

It's nice to get to know so many missionaries. I don't think I've ever had more friends, and the bonds that we make here in just a short period of time, seem so strong. I've developed some friendships here that will hopefully last a lifetime. I've had several people tell me that when I come out to Utah or Idaho, that I'd always have a place to stay. Sounds cool, huh?

Now granted, there is the occasional missionary that I don't really get along with and can't really stand to be around. But I just have to deal with it, at least for a little while. It's something that I must do for the Lord. It develops patience and an appreciation for all people, if nothing else good comes of it. If I can deal with constantly being around the occasional immature, self-involved, disrespectful missionaries, then I can handle just about anyone else out there.

The good news is that I love my companion. Elder Parker is such a great guy and we're having such a good time serving with one another. He expects to be transferred soon, but hopefully he'll hold out one transfer longer. We won't know for a couple of weeks, however.

I was also been busy, last week, packing supplies for a conference next week. All of the media supplies for this 6 week transfer had to be packed and delivered at a conference this past Tuesday.

Also, last Saturday, we helped a member changed brakes for Victoria, a lady we've been teaching. We didn't get much of a Preparation Day, because we spent most of the morning and afternoon helping with that, and then doing some other service for some other members.

Then, this week was just as busy as last week. We started off the week with what's called Zone Leader Council, where all of the mission leadership come to Macon to council together for a all day meeting, then use that council to train the missionaries in their areas to better teach the people and bring them to the Lord.

Then, we had to help a newly arrived missionary cope with mission life. He has been having some troubles, so he and his companion spent the last couple of days with Elder Parker and I, to help him to get settled and used to mission life. Pres. Evanson doesn't want to send him home, so he's doing all he can to keep him here.

And today, Elder Parker had to sell a couple of cars (old mission vehicles) and then we had a baptism at 1:30pm, that we had to prepare for. Most of our Preparation Day has been spent on mission related things, so we haven't had much time to spend for us to prepare for the coming week. It's okay though.. I'm not sure there is anything I'd rather do on a Saturday afternoon, than to see someone that I've been teaching be baptized. It's always cool to be in attendance and to know that I've made a difference.

We baptized Victoria today. We've been teaching her and her 3 boys for about 2 months now. They are a lot of fun to be around. We've tried for weeks to get Victoria and her boys all baptized together, but the boys didn't seem to show much interest. Then, no sooner then we get Victoria all set for baptism, when her oldest, Michael, says he wants to be baptized. So we're going to spend the next 2 weeks preparing him for baptism as well, and hope that his brothers come with him.

And finally, I was able to send out another memory stick full of photos today, that should arrive early next week, so everyone can see new photos. I hope you all enjoy. They include photos from my last few days in Milledgeville, our 2 previous road trips around the mission, a trip to Juliette, GA, where "Fried Green Tomatos" was recorded, our 4th of July softball game and other festivities, and various other photos from mission life.

I hope you all enjoy the update and I hope everything is going well for everyone back home. Enjoy the Dog-Days of summer... because winter is just around the corner!

Posted by: Jon

Busy Busy

2007-07-22T21:42:00.001-06:00

I received an update from Danny today and was ask to post it in its entirety. Danny's really made up for the lack of info of the past few weeks or so. He has a fully loaded schedule and yet manages to find time to write. So enjoy.

Hi All,

I apologize for not sending an update sooner. Things have been really busy, and it's easy to lose track of time. I hadn't realized it had been several weeks since I'd sent an update.

The last several weeks have been going great. I'll try to summarize as best as I can, but forgive me if I miss something or if I sound scatter brained. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, so I'm not going to remember everything.

The last several weeks, we've got finally been able to get totally settled in. The apartment is finally settled down and everything is put in it's place. It's running efficiently and all of us do our part. When we've been in Macon, we've also been busy re-arranging the office. I've been spending almost my whole time in the office moving things around and such, I haven't had much time to study. I really enjoy the intellectual and spiritual boost from reading the scriptures each day, and I have only really been able to read maybe 1-2 days a week, we've been so busy. I'm going to have to make a way to get more study in, even if I have to hide for a little while until I get my hour of study.

The weather has been good, except quite hot and humid! We could definitely use some more rain though. They've been asking us to pray for rain to fall on Georgia, because they are somewhere like 21 inches in the deficient this year for what the average is. Most of the farmers didn't even bother to plant their crops. The peanut industry is really hurting and so is all the cattle. The lack of rain also helped cause the fires in southern Georgia and northern Florida. We could see the affects of the fires a few weeks ago. The smoke had made it's way all the way up here, and the fires are about 3-4 hours south of us.

From what I've heard, we've seen nothing yet, in regard to humidity. I guess in August it's pretty unbearable. I'm not looking forward to it, but I guess I have to live through it to enjoy the cool of fall and winter, so I just have to buck up and get to work in spite of the heat.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Atlanta for our semi-annual Temple trip. After the Temple, we went to the bookstore and browsed around for a while before heading to the famous Varsity restaurant. Have you heard of it? It's the world's largest drive through, accommodating 600 cars outside and 800 people inside the restaurant. It was crazy and so big! I only got a couple of quick photos, because we had to get heading back on the road to get home.

During the beginning part of the 4^th of July holiday week, we had our apartment painted and spent a great deal of time preparing for that. We had to move all of our stuff to the middle of the rooms and then cover it with tarps and blankets, so that the painters can come in and spray the walls down on Tuesday. We stayed in the Mission Home for a couple of days, instead of our apartment, while the paint dried. Being in the mission home for a couple of days, felt almost normal. We had nice, comfortable beds and good meals provided for us each day. It was the best sleep I'd received in 9 months!

We had Independence Day totally off from missionary work, which was a nice break – almost a mini-vacation, but we still had plenty of stuff going on. In the morning, we had a pancake breakfast and softball game at the Church. There were many people that showed up and we had enough people to play softball to field 2 teams. We had a great time. It had been so long since I'd hit a ball or really thrown or played. It really made me miss playing ball, though my aching body would wish I didn't play again. I think I'm going to try to join a softball league when I get back home. (My team won, by the way).

Then in the afternoon, after we'd cleaned up our apartment from the recent paint job, we had a cookout at the Mission Home with President and Sister Evanson. All of the missionaries serving in Macon (6 of us) were there and enjoyed some hot dogs and such and then played some "fast scrabble" for a little while.

And in the evening, we went to a member's house, on Lake Tobesofkee. It was a beautiful house (probably the biggest and nicest I've ever been in). The family owns 40 daycare centers in middle Georgia, so they are LOADED. We ended up playing a game of 101 on the pool table and I smoked everyone, including my Mission President, who is pretty good. He kept saying he knew what I used to do back home in my wayward young days... pool hustler! Ha..Ha!

We didn't get to see any fireworks, because we have to be in by 9pm. I was hoping we could work something out, but rules are rules and I'm striving to be obedient to them. Maybe I'll be in a place next year where I can see them, but if not, I'm sure I'll see them the year after I return home.

This past two weeks, Elder Parker and I had to work on the mission vehicles at Zone Conference tours around all of southern Georgia. We were pretty much outside all day long Tuesday through Thursday last week and Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I ended up taking 3 showers last Wednesday, because it was so hot and humid. The temperature reached 104 degrees in Savannah on Wednesday. I guess a few days in the sun is the price we have to pay to have a full time vehicle and unlimited miles. We were on our tour during the following dates: Macon, GA – 7-10; Albany, GA – 7-11; Douglas, GA – 7-12; Augusta, GA – 7-17; Savannah, GA – 7-18

The first leg of the tour was a little different than the previous Zone Conference tour I completed. Normally, all 4 of us (my companion and I, and the Assistants to Pres. Evanson) all travel in the large Ford Van. However, this trip, we were swapping out cars, so for most of the trip, we each had our own vehicle to drive. Talk about weird! After spending 9 months full time with someone always around, it was very strange and kind of boring to be all by myself. I guess it'll take some getting used to when I return home, but I don't have to worry about that for a while still.

Last week, I got to stop in Tifton on our way home and was able to see several members there and visit for a little while. I really enjoyed serving there and really miss it. It was really nice being able to visit for even just a few minutes.

For the second leg of the tour, we all rode together in the van, which is a lot more fun. We get to joke around a little and enjoy each other's company. I'm finding it a little hard to live on the road for almost two weeks. It's hard to pack the appropriate food for all of the meals, so we end up normally eating out, which can be quite expensive.. especially on a limited missionary budget.

We returned home Wednesday night this week. Thursday and Friday, I was able to get a lot of things done in the office. I'm really starting to get the hang of the media stuff and now I'm starting to look at statistics to see how we can improve our numbers and see better results. I'll probably be meeting with Pres. Evanson this coming week to review the data and see where he'd like us to go from there.

We also picked up a new Assistant to President Evanson. Elder Craig, one of the current Assistants, is heading home on Wednesday, so we had to get a replacement. Elder Clark has now joined the apartment, and it'll be probably Tuesday evening before he can get settled in, with Elder Craig's things still in the way (there's some overlap). Elder Clark is a good guy, and hopefully the group dynamics will still be good.

We had a baptism of a lady named Victoria, scheduled for today, but that has been pushed back until August 4th. She's still really strong and we're teaching her a lot and things are really starting to click for her. I love seeing the change in people's eyes as they realized the truthfulness of the gospel. She's been bombarded really hard, however, by the Adversary. Bad things have just been rolling in on her since we met her a few weeks ago. I know that being baptized will give her the strength and direction that she needs to overcome, though, so I'm really looking forward to the 4th, for her sake. Hopefully after she gets baptized, she'll desire the great feeling that comes with baptism, for her boys and they'll be baptized soon as well. We're looking forward to that also, because her sons (Michael 11, Brandon 8, Julian 6) are so much fun. We've had them over the mission home with the Evanson's quite a bit and they've really enjoyed that.

We're also teaching an employee of a member, who's been coming out to Church for the past several weeks. He's loving Church and really enjoys learning new things about the Savior and His gospel. We hope to see him baptized this next month as well.

We had a baptism scheduled for June 30th, but it didn't go through. The guy has been all set for baptism several times, but won't follow through. He feels he's not ready to make the changes in his life that he needs to make in order to follow the Savior properly. He feels it'll be too difficult for him, so he won't go through with it. It's been hard to teach him and get him to understand that the Lord said, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it". Calvin, the guy that postponed his baptism, has asked us to give him some time and he would call us when he's ready to meet again. We have to rely on our faith and know that the Lord will continue to work with him, when we can't, and see where that takes us.

This week, we have the departing missionaries in the office all day Tuesday, and then Wednesday, we'll be attending a dinner at the mission home for the arriving missionaries. It's always sad to see some great people head back for home, but we always get new recruits to fill their places and continue the work. It's exciting to be around their energy and enthusiasm for the work.

I hope that was a good enough update for everyone. I apologize for the delay. I'll try to be better about sending out more regular updates. Also, look for new pictures to be added soon!

Love ya all!

Danny

Posted by: Rod

An Update From Danny

2007-06-18T13:36:00.001-06:00

I received this message from Danny over the weekend, and he wanted me to post it up here for everyone to read. Enjoy!

Things are going great here, just a little hectic. This week was transfer week, where we saw missionaries that are at the end of their 24 months depart for home and new missionaries arrive. The office was crazy all day Tuesday as the departing missionaries spend all morning and afternoon here and we stay to entertain them and to help them prepare for their flights home.

Wednesday, we got to see the arriving missionaries and have dinner in the Mission Home with them. Normally they do a devotional after the dinner which we stay for, but some of the other missionaries in Macon had a baptism scheduled, so we all attended that instead.

Then Thursday was Transfer Meeting where the newly arrived missionaries and any other missionaries that are being transferred come to meet before separating out to their new areas. I helped prepare for that and helped unload and load up the vehicles.

Needless to say that we've been busy, on top of normal missionary tasks. But the next three weeks will be pretty normal, then the madness starts all over again with Zone Conference Tours around the whole mission and transfer week again. I'm looking forward to a break, but I enjoy seeing everyone and doing all of these special tasks as well.

The apartment is back to normal now, only 4 missionaries are staying there. We had 6 at one time, but 2 were transferred back out to various parts of the mission. I was finally able to unpack my suitcases on Thursday and get organized. I was going to send a bunch of winter stuff home, but I expect to be here until it gets cold again, so there's no point in that really. I have room to store it here.

As far as the normal missionary work, we've been teaching some really great people. There are several investigators that we've been teaching that are close to being baptized, and one that has a baptism scheduled for June 30th. His name is Calvin. I was able to come in and ask some difficult questions, being the new missionary, and helped him to realize the blessings he was missing by not taking the next step of baptism. He'd already been attending church and praying and doing all of the other things, except that. I was happy to help out in that capacity.

We've also been working with a less-active family, the Anderson's, that has fallen on some hard times the last few years. They are terrific people and it's so hard to see them struggle with life, but it's awesome to see the power of the gospel in their life. Even though some of their struggles are still present, as they attend church and come closer to Jesus Christ, their struggles are made easier, and they have the strength to endure life's difficulties better.

All is well in Macon, Georgia. It's Hot and Humid, but from all that I hear it'll be hotter in August. Thank goodness for a full-time car with unlimited miles!

Posted by: Jon

New Transfer, New Role

2007-06-02T09:28:00.000-06:00

We received an email from Danny today explaining the sudden and unexpected transfer mentioned in an earlier post. It appears Danny's maturity, experience, and leadership abilities have been noticed in his reassignment within the mission. This is an exciting time and we look forward to hearing more about his new role. Below is a portion of the email he sent though some items have been removed for privacy and space.

I've been called as the new Media Secretary for the mission. I got a call at 3pm Monday afternoon and was informed that I had the evening to see everyone that I wanted to see in Milledgeville and get packed. I had to report to Macon Tuesday morning at a conference and I'll be serving in Macon for the next 3 to 6 months. For the past several days this week and a couple of days next week, I'll be on a Mission tour, so I'll be able to see the entire mission.

It's an exciting new change and I'm up to the challenges. It'll be a lot of office related work, which you know that I'm used to. The basic responsibilities, besides regular missionary work, will be ordering and distributing all media (books, pamphlets, videos, DVDs) for the entire mission, and forwarding letters and packages for missionaries, around the entire mission.

My new companion is the Fleet Coordinator for the mission. He's in charge of serving, purchase and sale of all mission cars, so it'll be an interesting experience in this new calling.

My Preparation Day moved from Monday to Saturday.

For my new address, since I'm in charge of forwarding and distributing mail, you can just send any mail to the mission address directly and I'll get it right away.

Things are going really well in my new calling. Yesterday was the first day actually in the office. The previous several days we were on a Zone Conference tour to Albany and Douglas Georgia, so we were on the road a lot. Next week we travel to Augusta and Savannah, leaving Monday evening and not returning until Wednesday evening.

For the Zone Conference tours, I make a quick presentation and report regarding the Media business, and then mostly, I'm there to help my companion with the car business, of checking over all of the vehicles, changing tires, getting oil changes, etc.

As for my work in the office, I'm in charge of ordering and distributing all media items; videos, Book of Mormons, pamphlets, etc. I'm also in charge of media accountability amongst all of the Zones and companionships within each Zone. Most of what I did yesterday was the accountability and getting to know the computer system.

The office is also getting ready to go through a re-arranging, so we've been getting prepared for that. That's why the address has changed from Suite B to Suite A. We are consolidating into a smaller office, to save on rent for the mission. With the increase in living expenses and gas, etc., we're having to tighten up. It sounds like a trend all over the world. The President of the Church doesn't want to have to raise the cost of missions, so they're doing everything they can to prevent that. It'll make things more cramped, but it'll have to do.

As for my new companion, he's a really good guy. His name is Elder Parker and he's from Idaho. I'm replacing Elder O'Rullian, who's from California. For the next 2 weeks, it'll be the three of us together, than Elder O'Rullian will go back out to some other area in the mission.

We're living with the Assistants to President Evanson, my Mission President, in a 4-man apartment. It's not real big, but most of what we do is done here at the office, so we don't spend much time in the apartment anyhow.

I'm reallying enjoying the change, but it'll be nice to get settled, which I haven't been able to do much. Elder O'Rullian still has to move his stuff all out before I can move mine in. To make things a little more interesting, we are getting 1 new Assistant, so for a little while, there will be 6 people living in the apartment, with all of their stuff.

It'll be tight, but it should only last for a few weeks, then everything will get back to normal with 4 Elders only.

That's really about all for now. I hope things are going well for you. Trust that things are going well here and that I'm thinking about you all often and pray for you all the time. Write me back when you get a chance.

I love you all!

Posted by: Rod

More Pictures and a Transfer

2007-05-29T20:09:00.000-06:00

I got some more pictures from Danny along with the video update, and I've posted them to his Flickr Page as well as posting the slide show here:

Also, I just received word from Danny's mom that he was transfered yesterday, rather suddenly. Last I had talk to Danny, he was figuring on transferring in the middle of June, but he has moved a little early, and with more responsibility. He is now assigned to the Macon Mission Office, where he will be their communications secretary, making him responsible for ordering and distributing all books, videos, etc for the entire mission area. He indicates that he will probably be in this assignment for 3-6 months, and he is very excited and honored to get this assignment. It's rather prestigious I think. I'll post more info when I have more news.

Posted by: Jon

2007-05-18T07:06:00.000-06:00

I got this update from Danny a few weeks ago. I had to know the filesize down a bit for youtube to be happy, so there was a small delay. But without further delay, here you are:

Posted by: Jon

Rock, Paper, Scissors?

2007-05-02T18:08:00.000-06:00

A very unique version of what I can only assume would be rock, paper, scissors (with a little more action). Watch for the special effects :D

Posted by: Jon

Pictures from the Road

2007-05-01T20:48:00.000-06:00

Danny sent another batch of pictures this week, and I've posted them on his Flickr account. He also sent a video update, and I will get it posted as soon as I get it compressed down to the size that Youtube likes. Stay tuned for a great update!

Posted by: Jon