Last Transfer! Traveling Assistant!

Daniels Family!

Hello, I am your child, Elder Daniels and last week was awesome. I'm writing to you on Monday because it’s a new transfer, again, for the last time.

Last week’s happenings:

All of our investigators with dates are progressing and they all know it’s true; they are just trying to overcome their trials before baptism.

Family, I am old! It’s happened! I caught myself sitting with my legs crossed "high priest style"..."knee over knee." It scared me to death when I realized what I was doing!

Last week we held another zone conference where Elder Watson, Asia’s representative of the Seventy, came and visited us. He gave a talk in General Conference a couple weeks back. I was called to give a 5 minute talk in Chinese about my studies and it went really good.

Last week we saw a lot of progress ward/missionary wise. We want the members to focus more on having a “Preach My Gospel” based Sacrament meeting, which was an invite from President Uchtdorf. So what we did was start visiting members and introducing Preach My Gospel more directly. We visited the 1st counselor and asked him and his wife, "I know you read your scriptures every day, but do you have a scripture study plan?" “Not really, no.” “Well, that’s why we have this book called Preach My Gospel.” They liked it so much that they called and invited me to give a talk in Sacrament meeting, which is absolutely HUGE!! When a missionary has an opportunity to give a talk in Sacrament meeting, it is a very sacred time because it doesn't happen that often. So the ward is really excited about missionary work and reading Preach My Gospel. Hooray!!!

Okay, now for the part that I know you are waiting for....

In the midst of all these happenings, I also received a special phone call on Friday night at 6:00. "President Grimley," said the words on the screen on the front of the phone. He told me to call him back after we ended the lesson we were in, so I called him and he asked, "Are you sitting down?” "Yes, may I ask why?" "Elder Daniels, I would like to call you to be my traveling assistant."

So after giving my talk in church on Sunday, writing in 12 bye-bye books, saying goodbye to my beloved Elder Leavitt, and forgetting to fulfill my responsibility as District Leader and call the Sisters to tell them their new moving situation, making for a rough nights sleep for them due to anxiety expecting a phone call that never came, I have left Keelung after being there for one transfer. Here I am in Taipei with my new companion Elder Worthen, my high school classmate. Hyrum Worthen, ha-ha.

There were no Traveling Assistants for the past two transfers but they have started it up again this transfer. We don't know why yet.

In case you forgot what a traveling assistant does, I will remind you briefly. We ride our bikes all around the island visiting different area's and go on exchanges with every companionship. No bed, ha-ha, AWESOME!!! I'm so excited! I get to go visit all my old areas! Sanchong, Tucheng, Hualien, and Jilong (Keelung)!!!

We never sleep in our house but all of our stuff is left at the Assistants’ place. We will stay there when we plan for zone conferences and things like that. Otherwise, it’s us, a bike, a sleeping bag, and a back pack, with packing skills required.

Elder Worthen. He is 2 transfers younger than me, we played football together in 10th grade and were friends in high school! We never had much opportunity to cross roads though, low and behold, he is killing me off of my mission in 6 weeks!

In a couple minutes we are about to go and eat lunch at the Lin family’s house!!!! Elder Barton’s Lin family!!! (Elder Barton was Jonathan’s trainer and first companion in Taiwan). They live close to the temple near our house! It will be so good to see them again because I'm the last thing left of Elder Barton and Sister Lin loves me, hahaha. I love them too!

Well, there will be more in the near future but for now. I have to sign up for classes. LOVE YOU!!! Elder Daniels....