February 11, 2009
So, the new area is good. Its solo much different than Kitchener was. It’s very interesting how different they are. We have a lot of work to do though and I am really excited about it. Pretty much all we have done is tracted since I got here. We have met some pretty promising people so I am looking forward to how things can turn out here. It’s amazing to see how much the Lord will bless us as long as we are working hard and being obedient so that He can trust us. Elder Ashcraft is a nice kid. Like I said we don’t really have much in common but were getting along good. We have a really nice grill in our apartment so I’ve been eating a lot of man food. So that’s good. The car really helps out with the coldness factor. Of course it’s still freezing but now I have a retreat when I feel like I have frostbite and my face is going to fall off. lol So things are going good, I really see great things coming from this area. The branch is reaaallly small but they definitely take care of us. They are trying hard to expand the branch so they are working hard in their missionary efforts as well. It’s so important that the members help out.
It sounds like everything is going great at home. Keep up the hard work. Oh and I forgot to say thanks for the b-day package. I got it the day before my birthday. IT WAS AWESOME!! Nice job on the ties. I like them a lot. The cds are awesome too. I had no idea you guys were sending me all of them. Thank you sooo much. I wrote you (mom) a letter thanking you about it but you probably haven’t got it yet.
We met with a man named Len Longin yesterday and he is a great guy. We took a member from our branch named Bro. Whitlocks. He is a really smart man. He was paralyzed in an atv accident about ten years ago and he joined the church about five years ago. Len had a lot of the same questions that he had so it was great that he was there. If Bro. Whitlocks wasn’t there than I don’t think it would have gone anywhere. The spirit that was there was amazing as Bro. Whitlocks shared with him is conversion story. I think that I learned more at this appointment that Len did. My testimony was strengthened so much and I now have a greater appreciation for everything that I have. I almost cried as he was talking. I am very thankful that I was born into the gospel, and that my family is so good to me. It’s scary to think where we might be without the knowledge of Heavenly Fathers plan for us.
I love you all more than I can express. Have a great Valentine’s Day.
Love, Elder Day
Ps here is my new address:
Elder David Day
201 Barrie Rd. #1
Orillia, ON L3V 2B6
Saturday, February 14, 2009
February 6, 2009
Thank you all sooooooo much for the Birthday wishes. This has been a really strange birthday but I loved it! Bad news came on Monday night right before my birthday :( I got transferred. So Tuesday and Wednesday have been really hectic. They merged our area into another one. It’s really sad but it makes sense. They are running low on missionaries in our area so they”closed down" but not really, some of the smaller walking areas. Even though I am really sad that I am leaving Kitchener, I know that there is a reason for me being here. We had a lot of great things happening in "The Kitchen" but I know that everything will work out.
So, I got transferred to Orillia. It’s a little bit farther up north. We have a car though so hopefully that will help with the cold. My companions name is Elder Ashcraft. He is from Salt Lake. He comes from a huge family of eight kids. He's a really good guy. He likes to sing a lot. We don’t have too much in common but I guess that doesn’t really matter because all that matters is that we have the same agenda and there is no way that we can’t get along. We have a lot of work to do.
This is a really small town. Just about 20,000 people I think. We only have a branch of about 35 pretty active members. So it’s going to be a lot different than the situation in Kitchener. This was the kind of town I was worried about when I was leaving on my mission. ha ha but anyway, like I said, I know that I am here for a reason. I just hope that I can find that reason and do my best in the cause.
Mom said that Kylie is trying to find a quote to put on her wall. Dad sent me some really good ones. I have like thirty quotes put up on the wall in front of my desk. I love them. They really help me. I’m going to bring a couple to share with you all next week that might be able to help you. Maybe Ky can pick one of them.
I love you all. Keep praying even when times are good. I love a scripture in D and C 101 verses like 7 and 8 I think. It talks about how we need to pray more than when we need help but also when good things are happening because we need to thank the Lord because He is the reason for those blessings.
Love, Elder Day
So, I got transferred to Orillia. It’s a little bit farther up north. We have a car though so hopefully that will help with the cold. My companions name is Elder Ashcraft. He is from Salt Lake. He comes from a huge family of eight kids. He's a really good guy. He likes to sing a lot. We don’t have too much in common but I guess that doesn’t really matter because all that matters is that we have the same agenda and there is no way that we can’t get along. We have a lot of work to do.
This is a really small town. Just about 20,000 people I think. We only have a branch of about 35 pretty active members. So it’s going to be a lot different than the situation in Kitchener. This was the kind of town I was worried about when I was leaving on my mission. ha ha but anyway, like I said, I know that I am here for a reason. I just hope that I can find that reason and do my best in the cause.
Mom said that Kylie is trying to find a quote to put on her wall. Dad sent me some really good ones. I have like thirty quotes put up on the wall in front of my desk. I love them. They really help me. I’m going to bring a couple to share with you all next week that might be able to help you. Maybe Ky can pick one of them.
I love you all. Keep praying even when times are good. I love a scripture in D and C 101 verses like 7 and 8 I think. It talks about how we need to pray more than when we need help but also when good things are happening because we need to thank the Lord because He is the reason for those blessings.
Love, Elder Day
January 29, 2009
This week has been fantastic!!! I am so excited about our area. I hope that I don’t get transferred on Wednesday. We are starting to see our hard work definitely pay off. We are getting the members very involved. I think its soo important. The most successful missionary work is through the members. I was asked to speak at church on Sunday to help get the ward excited. I loved it. You all know I hate speaking, but I felt really good that they wanted me to do it. I talked about the Atonement for a little bit and focused a lot on the feelings that we have when we use it in our lives and how that should make us want to share it with everyone. I used a lot of examples from Alma. But anyways, it was really cool because after the sacrament they did a meal calendar in the relief society and the whole week was filled!! We usually only get one or two meals. And we have been getting a couple calls this week about teaching some friends of the members. I am really excited for how the ward can help us out.
So... it sounds like everything is going great! I loved the pictures of Bradley. He is so cute it’s crazy. Too bad he's going to be a full grown man by the time I get back. haha Thank you so much for the love you all show to me. The emails and mail really help keep me up-beat. I know that your prayers are blessing me and this work greatly. I know that we can do so much more than we think that we can. I saw a quote today that said, "If you have anything left... you didn't do it right", and it has a picture of Christ carrying a missionary. It almost brought me to tears. I realized that even though I’m working really hard I know without a doubt that I can do more.
I know that the Savior is there to pick me up when I am weak. He will help us all as we turn to Him and show our faith in Him.
I love you guys! Keep up the good work,
Elder Day
So... it sounds like everything is going great! I loved the pictures of Bradley. He is so cute it’s crazy. Too bad he's going to be a full grown man by the time I get back. haha Thank you so much for the love you all show to me. The emails and mail really help keep me up-beat. I know that your prayers are blessing me and this work greatly. I know that we can do so much more than we think that we can. I saw a quote today that said, "If you have anything left... you didn't do it right", and it has a picture of Christ carrying a missionary. It almost brought me to tears. I realized that even though I’m working really hard I know without a doubt that I can do more.
I know that the Savior is there to pick me up when I am weak. He will help us all as we turn to Him and show our faith in Him.
I love you guys! Keep up the good work,
Elder Day
January 21, 2009
This week has been very good again!! Things are starting to pick up really nice. Matt is getting baptized on Sunday, but Alan can't give up smoking yet. :( But I am way happy for Matt. Also Musa and his family are moving along great but they haven't been able to get to church. He works so much. But I'm still excited for them. Other than that we don't have any really progressing investigators. We have met some really good people, so hopefully they continue to be interested. It seems like people are either ready for a change or not.
So it sounds like everything is going good at home. Except for Brooke and G thinking about moving to FLORIDA! What the heck! You better stay close or I’m going to cry. (Mom's note: I just mentioned in my letter that he had applied in Vegas, but also different places, including Florida. He got a little carried away!) Steven and Kylie are still awesome. That’s good. Oh and mom you can send my package to either one, probably the mission office. I'll get it eventually. People come in and out all the time so I'll probably get it pretty quick. Oh and you don't need to send me pictures of my mission. I don't really need them. I'll just want them when I get back. I had my last dentist appt. yesterday. He is such a good guy. He didn't even let me pay him. I'm sure that the Lord will bless him greatly.
I'm actually running out of time on the computer so sorry that this week will be short, but I want you all to know how true the church is. God loves us. I know that. The plan that he has prepared for us is flawless. As I've been studying it, I am amazed. I never knew how deep the Gospel was. We have had a couple of experiences this week that have strengthened my testimony so much. It seems that the largest my testimony has grown is when people argue with us. I see how unhappy they are. We don't need to prove anything because we have had a profound witness from the Holy Ghost that the church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. I know that I can live with all of you forever and that's all I need to get through any trial that I may have. I love you all so much. I can't really explain it to you, but I pray for you all individually for the things that you are facing. I know that God has a reason for everything. I have seen it in my life as I reflect back on the things that have strengthened me and changed me in a way that I can be who I am today, a personal representative of Jesus Christ. He is counting on all of us. Be strong and remember Him always.
Love, Elder Day
So it sounds like everything is going good at home. Except for Brooke and G thinking about moving to FLORIDA! What the heck! You better stay close or I’m going to cry. (Mom's note: I just mentioned in my letter that he had applied in Vegas, but also different places, including Florida. He got a little carried away!) Steven and Kylie are still awesome. That’s good. Oh and mom you can send my package to either one, probably the mission office. I'll get it eventually. People come in and out all the time so I'll probably get it pretty quick. Oh and you don't need to send me pictures of my mission. I don't really need them. I'll just want them when I get back. I had my last dentist appt. yesterday. He is such a good guy. He didn't even let me pay him. I'm sure that the Lord will bless him greatly.
I'm actually running out of time on the computer so sorry that this week will be short, but I want you all to know how true the church is. God loves us. I know that. The plan that he has prepared for us is flawless. As I've been studying it, I am amazed. I never knew how deep the Gospel was. We have had a couple of experiences this week that have strengthened my testimony so much. It seems that the largest my testimony has grown is when people argue with us. I see how unhappy they are. We don't need to prove anything because we have had a profound witness from the Holy Ghost that the church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. I know that I can live with all of you forever and that's all I need to get through any trial that I may have. I love you all so much. I can't really explain it to you, but I pray for you all individually for the things that you are facing. I know that God has a reason for everything. I have seen it in my life as I reflect back on the things that have strengthened me and changed me in a way that I can be who I am today, a personal representative of Jesus Christ. He is counting on all of us. Be strong and remember Him always.
Love, Elder Day
January 14, 2009
This week has been FANTASTIC!!! We are starting to see so much success! The Lord is definitely blessing us. As long as we continue to keep working hard in the tough times he will always prepare someone for us. We just need to make sure that we are ready and that we are living in a way that He would trust us with one of his elect children.
Well anyway, it sounds like everything is going really good at home. I want you all to know that I brag about you guys all the time. I think everyone is annoyed, but hey, you're awesome.
So, we got really good news this week. About a month ago I told you guys about a man named Alan that we met on the bus. He asked us to come over and we taught him and his roommate the first lesson and it was the strongest I have ever felt the spirit. But we had to hand them over to the Sister Missionaries because they are over the YSA ward and they just told us yesterday that they are both getting baptized!!! Their names are Alan and Matt. I am so excited for them. We are actually going over today because the sisters said that they have been asking about us. I can’t wait.
And also, last Friday we were doing drop bys and we were trying to decide whether or not to go home because it was about 8:45 and we had to catch the bus, but we decided to do one more drop by to a man named Musa who we had went by like 5 times and he has been working. But we went and it just so happens that him, his brother Teiray, and his wife Tigei were all home. They also have a little daughter. But they let us in and we taught the restoration. They loved it!!! They can’t wait for us to come back. Musa works a lot, but he is really excited to come to church. It turns out that they know about five people in our ward that they talk to a lot because they have an African club that they go to. They are all from West Africa. They speak English really well. They have been here for about 8 years and have been searching for a church ever since. We are going by tonight. I am so excited for them. They are probably the nicest people I have ever met. He has called us like 3 times since then trying to set up appts with us because of his work schedule. I can’t wait to talk to them again.
I am so thankful that the Lord put them in our paths and that the spirit directed us to go and see them that night. I am so thankful for the blessings that I have been receiving and I know that it is because of all of your prayers. Thank you so much. I love you.
Love, Elder Day
p.s. its negative 25 today with 15 kph winds!!!! Holy cow!!
Well anyway, it sounds like everything is going really good at home. I want you all to know that I brag about you guys all the time. I think everyone is annoyed, but hey, you're awesome.
So, we got really good news this week. About a month ago I told you guys about a man named Alan that we met on the bus. He asked us to come over and we taught him and his roommate the first lesson and it was the strongest I have ever felt the spirit. But we had to hand them over to the Sister Missionaries because they are over the YSA ward and they just told us yesterday that they are both getting baptized!!! Their names are Alan and Matt. I am so excited for them. We are actually going over today because the sisters said that they have been asking about us. I can’t wait.
And also, last Friday we were doing drop bys and we were trying to decide whether or not to go home because it was about 8:45 and we had to catch the bus, but we decided to do one more drop by to a man named Musa who we had went by like 5 times and he has been working. But we went and it just so happens that him, his brother Teiray, and his wife Tigei were all home. They also have a little daughter. But they let us in and we taught the restoration. They loved it!!! They can’t wait for us to come back. Musa works a lot, but he is really excited to come to church. It turns out that they know about five people in our ward that they talk to a lot because they have an African club that they go to. They are all from West Africa. They speak English really well. They have been here for about 8 years and have been searching for a church ever since. We are going by tonight. I am so excited for them. They are probably the nicest people I have ever met. He has called us like 3 times since then trying to set up appts with us because of his work schedule. I can’t wait to talk to them again.
I am so thankful that the Lord put them in our paths and that the spirit directed us to go and see them that night. I am so thankful for the blessings that I have been receiving and I know that it is because of all of your prayers. Thank you so much. I love you.
Love, Elder Day
p.s. its negative 25 today with 15 kph winds!!!! Holy cow!!
January 7, 2009
This week has been crazy!! I finally got to go in and see the Dentist in Brampton and got a root canal. It wasn't fun but the pain was nothing compared to what I was feeling all week without it. I’m so happy that it got taken care of and now I can focus harder on the work. I'm so happy that the birth went well and I'm sure Brooke is just happy that it's over. Haha I can’t wait to see some pictures. Thank you all for the cards that you sent me. Canada post is terrible so I just got them. Haha but they all seriously helped me so much and I loved them. Everything sounds so great at home. I love to hear about all the good things that are happening because it helps me not worry about everyone back at home. I know we're not supposed to think too much about it but I love you guys too much not to think about you. Just keep up the good work and the Lord will continue to bless all of us.
So, this week has been a pretty tough week. It's been hard to get new investigators. I think that the Lord is trying to humble us or something. We've taught a man named Asad a couple of times now. He's a really good guy but it's hard to get him out to church because he works night shift Saturday night. But, we'll see what happens. We also talked with a man named Jin. It was definitely the hardest lesson that I have been a part of. He couldn't accept that there is a God. He had way too many questions. It helped me to realize how fortunate we are that we know why we're here and where we're going. As we were talking with him he just didn't have hope. I think that is the biggest difference between us is that we know what is to come and we know that it is great. So we have a great hope of things to come. I know that Heavenly Father listens to us and that he has a great plan for us. It's amazing the change of attitude that comes from the knowledge of the Gospel and the brighter hope that you gain in knowing that Jesus Christ is our savior.
I love you all and thank you for everything. Keep on keepin’ on!
Love, Elder Day
So, this week has been a pretty tough week. It's been hard to get new investigators. I think that the Lord is trying to humble us or something. We've taught a man named Asad a couple of times now. He's a really good guy but it's hard to get him out to church because he works night shift Saturday night. But, we'll see what happens. We also talked with a man named Jin. It was definitely the hardest lesson that I have been a part of. He couldn't accept that there is a God. He had way too many questions. It helped me to realize how fortunate we are that we know why we're here and where we're going. As we were talking with him he just didn't have hope. I think that is the biggest difference between us is that we know what is to come and we know that it is great. So we have a great hope of things to come. I know that Heavenly Father listens to us and that he has a great plan for us. It's amazing the change of attitude that comes from the knowledge of the Gospel and the brighter hope that you gain in knowing that Jesus Christ is our savior.
I love you all and thank you for everything. Keep on keepin’ on!
Love, Elder Day
Happy New Years!
December 31, 2008
I can’t believe it’s already been a week since I got to call home. Time is really going by fast. My tooth has been really hurting but I sent a letter home to kind of update you. I saw a dentist and he didn’t help me at all so I’m going to see another one that is LDS on Monday. It’s extremely painful so hopefully he can figure out what’s wrong with it so I can focus harder on my work instead of wanting to pull my teeth out. Haha I just want to ask you all to pray for it if you can.
Anyways, so I can’t believe that little Bradley’s already coming. He’s going to be a man when I get back. Brooke might even have another baby by that time. ;) That’s great. It sounds like everyone is doing really good. It was so awesome to talk to you guys last week. It’s too bad that I won’t get to call again until Mothers Day. How were the trips to California and Utah? I bet everyone had a fun time.
So on a spiritual note: This week has been really hard for us because everyone keeps saying to come back after the holidays. But there have been some very interesting things that I’ve learned. I’ve had some time to think about some stuff because time is kind of slowing down for me because everything isn’t so new. I’ve been thinking about fears a lot and how ridiculous they are. I’ve been picking out a different fear each day and trying to overcome it. As I’ve been doing this my faith in the Lord has been increasing so much. If you have faith than there is no reason why you should be afraid to do anything, especially missionary work that you know is true. I’ve started to rely on the Lord to take care of any situation that I get into. I just wanted to remind all of you reading this that whatever you do remember that the Lord is there and you have nothing to fear. We know what is true and the He will lift us when we need Him. The word, almost, means nothing. We need to do everything with all of our heart trusting that the Lord will take care of us and he will.
I love you all so much! Have a great New Year!
Love, Elder Day
I can’t believe it’s already been a week since I got to call home. Time is really going by fast. My tooth has been really hurting but I sent a letter home to kind of update you. I saw a dentist and he didn’t help me at all so I’m going to see another one that is LDS on Monday. It’s extremely painful so hopefully he can figure out what’s wrong with it so I can focus harder on my work instead of wanting to pull my teeth out. Haha I just want to ask you all to pray for it if you can.
Anyways, so I can’t believe that little Bradley’s already coming. He’s going to be a man when I get back. Brooke might even have another baby by that time. ;) That’s great. It sounds like everyone is doing really good. It was so awesome to talk to you guys last week. It’s too bad that I won’t get to call again until Mothers Day. How were the trips to California and Utah? I bet everyone had a fun time.
So on a spiritual note: This week has been really hard for us because everyone keeps saying to come back after the holidays. But there have been some very interesting things that I’ve learned. I’ve had some time to think about some stuff because time is kind of slowing down for me because everything isn’t so new. I’ve been thinking about fears a lot and how ridiculous they are. I’ve been picking out a different fear each day and trying to overcome it. As I’ve been doing this my faith in the Lord has been increasing so much. If you have faith than there is no reason why you should be afraid to do anything, especially missionary work that you know is true. I’ve started to rely on the Lord to take care of any situation that I get into. I just wanted to remind all of you reading this that whatever you do remember that the Lord is there and you have nothing to fear. We know what is true and the He will lift us when we need Him. The word, almost, means nothing. We need to do everything with all of our heart trusting that the Lord will take care of us and he will.
I love you all so much! Have a great New Year!
Love, Elder Day
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2008
Well, I’m calling tomorrow and I'm really excited. So I'm just going to answer some questions and bear a quick testimony or thought.
I'm going to call today to set up a time and get all the details cleared up. I was just told from the Zone Leaders that we are allowed to do that. So I'll call later today and let you know everything.
Well I read a talk that Doug sent to me for Christmas (ya I opened it early, I couldn’t wait!) haha but it was called "Raising the Bar" by Henry B. Eyring. It meant a lot to me at this time because I want to make sure that I keep the same intensity throughout my whole mission. It talks about how we need to continually be setting a higher standard for ourselves. I see that as I work hard, then everything seems to get easier. As we keep working hard then we can consistently improve. It was a good talk because it was a simple reminder to me that I need to make the best out of my mission by getting better every day and learning through my experiences. If we have faith in the Lord we have nothing to fear. Merry Christmas to everyone. I can’t wait to talk to you guys tomorrow.
Love, Elder Day
Well, I’m calling tomorrow and I'm really excited. So I'm just going to answer some questions and bear a quick testimony or thought.
I'm going to call today to set up a time and get all the details cleared up. I was just told from the Zone Leaders that we are allowed to do that. So I'll call later today and let you know everything.
Well I read a talk that Doug sent to me for Christmas (ya I opened it early, I couldn’t wait!) haha but it was called "Raising the Bar" by Henry B. Eyring. It meant a lot to me at this time because I want to make sure that I keep the same intensity throughout my whole mission. It talks about how we need to continually be setting a higher standard for ourselves. I see that as I work hard, then everything seems to get easier. As we keep working hard then we can consistently improve. It was a good talk because it was a simple reminder to me that I need to make the best out of my mission by getting better every day and learning through my experiences. If we have faith in the Lord we have nothing to fear. Merry Christmas to everyone. I can’t wait to talk to you guys tomorrow.
Love, Elder Day
Happy for Tim
December 10, 2008
Everything’s going good. We had a pretty rough week because it was like negative 20 Celsius all week with a wind chill. It was so cold! haha We're starting to get more people to teach which is awesome. So we're working hard and that’s all we can really do I guess.
I was so happy to hear that Steven made the basketball team. THAT’S AWESOME BUDDY!! I was panicking all week because I couldn’t find out until a week later. And also, GREAT JOB KYLIE! It sounds like soccer is going good. Good luck to Brooke also. I bet you can’t wait to go through labor. haha It’ll be way fun :) Good luck to Ryan. I think you are definitely making the right decision. Just keep working hard and I know that everything will happen how you want it to. It means a lot to me that you are going for your dream. It gives me courage to go and try to do something after my mission to. We’ll see. I’m so excited for everyone. It sounds like everything is going great.
Well, on a spiritual note: TIM GOT BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY!! Elder newkirk baptized him because he hasn’t had the opportunity yet and he has been here for a lot longer than I have. Tim is such a great guy. I wanted to talk at his baptism (I know crazy right? I never want to talk) so I talked about the Holy Ghost. The talk hit me kind of hard because it has meant so much to me lately. I think I was happier for Tim getting baptized than I was when I got baptized. It’s crazy how much you care for the people you teach. The baptism was such a great experience. It makes all of the hard times seem worth it.
It’s almost Christmas time!!! I love it even though I don’t get to be with my family. It’s a lot harder though because I think about all the great times we have and then I start thinking about how much I miss you all. But I know the Lord is taking care of all of you much better than I ever could. But I want you all to know how much I love you and miss you. Thanks for writing me; it really is great to hear from you even though I don’t really have time to write you that often.
Love, Elder Day
Everything’s going good. We had a pretty rough week because it was like negative 20 Celsius all week with a wind chill. It was so cold! haha We're starting to get more people to teach which is awesome. So we're working hard and that’s all we can really do I guess.
I was so happy to hear that Steven made the basketball team. THAT’S AWESOME BUDDY!! I was panicking all week because I couldn’t find out until a week later. And also, GREAT JOB KYLIE! It sounds like soccer is going good. Good luck to Brooke also. I bet you can’t wait to go through labor. haha It’ll be way fun :) Good luck to Ryan. I think you are definitely making the right decision. Just keep working hard and I know that everything will happen how you want it to. It means a lot to me that you are going for your dream. It gives me courage to go and try to do something after my mission to. We’ll see. I’m so excited for everyone. It sounds like everything is going great.
Well, on a spiritual note: TIM GOT BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY!! Elder newkirk baptized him because he hasn’t had the opportunity yet and he has been here for a lot longer than I have. Tim is such a great guy. I wanted to talk at his baptism (I know crazy right? I never want to talk) so I talked about the Holy Ghost. The talk hit me kind of hard because it has meant so much to me lately. I think I was happier for Tim getting baptized than I was when I got baptized. It’s crazy how much you care for the people you teach. The baptism was such a great experience. It makes all of the hard times seem worth it.
It’s almost Christmas time!!! I love it even though I don’t get to be with my family. It’s a lot harder though because I think about all the great times we have and then I start thinking about how much I miss you all. But I know the Lord is taking care of all of you much better than I ever could. But I want you all to know how much I love you and miss you. Thanks for writing me; it really is great to hear from you even though I don’t really have time to write you that often.
Love, Elder Day
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