Week 5 in Katy

Hey, so yeah obviously we didn't have the chance to get on yesterday,
but i can write today. As for the knowing that this is the best thing
I've ever done, well I'm not sure quite how to explain it, but that I
can feel on my mission when we see people change their lives that what
we do is extremely important. Then on top of that when reading the
scriptures about all the blessings we'll receive, and feeling the spirit
more constantly, it's just amazing. So this week we've got a lot to do,
we're teaching a family who moved from Los Angeles area so me and the
husband had a few connections with sports and stuff like that. Very cool
and he's very interested in learning about our message. Also, we taught
a kid named tommy (17) which was very neat because he had heard some
good and bad things about our church and so he had some questions and we
were able to answer them for him. So this Saturday is transfer calls,
and I would assume that I'd be with my trainer
for at least one more transfer but who knows. We're doing exchanges
today which is always fun cuz I get to speak english for the day lol.
And then on Thursday we have interviews with the pres. We've really
built a relationship with our investigators and I can already tell it
will be kinda hard when I leave this area, whenever that may be. So we
played beach volleyball yesterday and the sand was like scorching hot,
but it was fun; then we just chilled and talked. It was a nice day. No I
haven't had a chance to get a bike yet. So, umm it would be awesome if
you could get erik's address for me cuz I haven't been able to write him
cuz I don't have it :( umm what else....I don't know what else to tell
you....we watched reflections of Christ last night with one of our
investigators (Joel) and his family for FHE and it was so neat and
powerful. Very cool. I think that's about it, I'll write another email
to explain the Patriarchal Blessing thing. Well guess
that's it for this week. Love you!

Love y'all,
Elder Daniel Lang

LeTtEr- Week 4 in Katy

Hello everybody!
So this past week has been kinda crazy. We've been trying to figure out all our baptisms, because we've got 3 including the one last night. Two of them needed special interviews, but they're all cleared and ready to go now. I've had a few fun moments this past week, and had the opportunity to go to the temple. The thing I like most is bearing my testimony, always brings the spirit and I actually can say it in spanish lol. Spanish is going alright, I don't really know what to compare to, but I'm constantly learning so that's good. Most of our investigators speak english as well so when I struggle they help me to say what I want to. Pretty neat. We've got one new investigator named Mario. He drives an old mail car that's painted yellow and he sells ice cream. I'm sending home a pic of it this week. I'm starting to familiarize myself with some of the members, which is fun. I don't know much else to say....I'm tired, it's hard, but it's the best thing I've ever done, and I can honestly say that I feel it. Thanks for responding about my other email. Oh and neat story, don't know if I shared it with you, the other week at zone conference an elder who's going home in a week or two got up to bear his testimony and part of his testimony was like word for word out of my patriarchal blessing! The part where it talks about in and through Jesus Christ you live and will live, and such and such. Way cool. I'm gonna talk to him about it today. He's a great elder, from camarillo actually. lol so that was my story for the week.
Love all y'all,
Elder Daniel Lang

Week 3 in Katy

Hello everyone,
This past week I have had many experiences of feeling the spirit and seeing it touch people's lives. I'm grateful for the support that I receive from home. I pray for all of you constantly. I'll be sure to be praying specifically tonight for Brother Hunt. There are some things that I have learned with greater understanding while on my mission, even though it has been a short time. Firstly, the power of prayer is real, and very much needed in our lives, and going along with that the study of the scriptures. Little insights have come to me as I have studied and been striving to live worthy of having the companionship of the spirit. Secondly, and very much just as important, the devil is very real. His power is indescribable, and he desires and works very hard to slightly lead us off the straight and narrow. Satan is also not alone in his working, but we have the Savior, and through His power we can have power over Satan. I know this. Sometimes all we have to do is pray for the strength, other times we need to ask the Lord to do it, but one way or the other it can and WILL be done if we sincerely search it out. Lastly, love is incomparable when teaching. When the person you are talking to understands that you love them, they will open their hearts to you, and you having the Holy Ghost will be able to touch their hearts.
Erik, I know this last month may be a struggle, but you have so many people to help you and strengthen you as you prepare for your mission. There is not a day that passes that I do not thank the Lord for your decision to serve a mission, and I pray always that your eyes will be opened to the great love and understanding that the Lord has for you.

So, I've pretty much gotta go, but I love the work. We get to play soccer today :) There is no other place on this entire Earth that I would rather be because I know that this is where the Lord wants me. I know there are those waiting to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Love,
Elder Daniel Lang (Danny)

Week 2 in Katy, Texas

Okay...so let's see. Lots has happened in the past couple weeks. We've taught a lot of lessons, but I'm still havin a lil bit of trouble with understanding sometimes. However, it's fun and I like it, I think I'm actually getting in the groove of things a bit. We have 3 baptisms set for this month! First is Luis. Very nice guy, his wife is a member, but has been kind of in-active for a lil while, he's getting baptized on the 17th and doesn't have any problems with anything (tithing, drinking, smoking, etc.) Second, is Jose. His wife is also a member, but has been inactive, so with both of them we're getting them to church and everything. He really wants to get baptized, but he has a problem with drinking. He'll be drinking a beer and half way through realize 'oh I'm not supposed to be drinking this'. So we're trying to work on him a bit. He didn't show up yesterday to church and we don't know why. We'll find out today though. His baptism is scheduled for the 24. Lastly, Joel. Joel's wife has been a member and fairly active. So, he's scheduled for the 31 because his mother in law is flying in from ecuador or something, and he wants her to be there for it. He doesn't have any problems, we just need to finish teaching him the lessons.

Now for other people...Mainly we're working with 2 other people, but we have a lot of so-so people. But the first is a young kid from Mexico , Francisco. He's here from Mexico working with some friends and sending money back to his family. It's hard to actually have him commit to anything and then actually follow through on it. Second big one is Rosa . Most her family lives in the LA area actually, but she moved here with her son and daughter to try and keep them out of trouble. However, her daughter already has a kid, and her son has been drinking and smoking, and she's worried about him joining a gang. She gets really worked up over her kids, and stresses out about them making the right choices.(reminds me a lot of you Mom) I'm sorry for all the stress I've caused, made me really appreciate how nice and helpful you and Dad were during high school. I shared with her how you've found comfort in prayer because we haven't been the best kids, but that through your prayers, the Lord has strengthened you.

Next big thing.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE!!!! I have a card that I'm sending today, but being a stupid boy when I bought the card I forgot to buy an envelope to send it. So I've got to buy one today and send it off to you. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and when I'm allowed to have spare time today know that I'm thinking of you :)

As for this Sunday, I was hoping to be able to call up to Gma's at 5 your time....5 YOUR time just to make sure there's no misunderstanding lol. I'll have an hour to talk.

My mission pres. is very nice, and I can tell that he's inspired of the Lord. My companion (pops) is very cool. I'm learning a lot from him about talking to everyone and tons of other stuff. But it's fun....next my actual address here in Katy is: The Lodge @ Copperfield #733
15125 West Road
Houston , TX 77095
and I don't really know a pizza place around here, but you could probably find one online. I love the area, and I really love the people. K I gotta go write everybody in the MTC my address. Love you! I'll check before I sign off if you are on :)
Love you all (y'all) ;),
Elder Daniel Lang

A couple of Email Q & A’s.

Jo Dee: How is the Church there? Danny: Everything here is good. church members are awesome, just as dad described. willing to give you the shirt off their back.

Jo Dee: Where is your companion from? Danny: He's from Salem, Utah and he's been out 9 months

1st Week in the Field

Hola. Como estais? So, I never thought that it would be this hard. We work all day long, and my trainer doesn't like taking long meal times, so I've been surviving on candy and nutragrain bars for the past few days. I'm in Katy for my first transfer, Bear Creek to be more specific. As far as letters go, just send them to the mission home so I don't have to worry about figuring out what our address is. Thank you for the box of candy, I need some real food lol. We've taught like 10-15 lessons since I started last thursday, and I've been trying really hard, but I get kinda nervous, and I don't understand much. We had 2 investigators come to church yesterday, and we've already had a baptism. I don't know what a good pizza place is around here, but my trainer (elder Nelson) said like Dominoe's. k I'm gonna send this one now, to see if anyone is on and wants to talk, then i'll send another one in a bit. Hey, so to finish up. It's really hard, and I'm really tired, but I know that the Lord is helping me. Already I have felt His love flow through me as He reaches to help someone. One of our investigators, Joel, has a baptismal date for the end of may. And Jose we are trying to commit this week to be baptized, he desires it so badly but wants to know more. Our last visit at the end, he said that he really wanted me to learn Spanish so that I could teach him. I felt very humbled because I knew that the Lord would be working through me to help him. I'm excited about the work, not so much about the Spanish lol. It's tough, but I'm learning more everyday. I'm sleeping a lot better now. Hmmmm, what else....I don't know what else to tell you. The weather feels like Hawaii/Mexico. I think that's it for now. I love you!
Love,
Danny

7th Week in the MTC

k, so i like never have time to write anymore lol and i'm sorry i didn't get an actual letter out last week. i'll try today. i'm sooo excited for erik!!!!!! that is soo awesome. as soon as you told me where he was going i knew it was the right place for him. everything here is going pretty well...i've only got two weeks left which is like no time at all, crazy...oh which reminds me, one of our teachers i've gotten pretty close with and he's gonna be going down to LA in a lil bit, is it ok if i have him come meet you guys? he's very nice and exrtemely polite and funny. way nice guy. i really like some of the younger guys in my zone, definitely going to be friends after the mission. and thanks mom for all the letters and packages, they truly brighten my day. k there was a talk that i wanted you to read. i wanna say it was elder eyering's talk saturday morning but i can't remember, i've got it in my notes in my room so i'll find it and write it down in the actual letter i'll be sending home. what else...umm i don't even know what to tell you, i've felt the spirit testify to me of many things this past week, things i already knew but things that i now have more conviction in. another cool thing with my new study of the book of mormon, i checked to see where the middle of the BOM was chapter wise and page wise and then compared the two, they both talk about the plan of salvation, which is WAY cool cuz in revelations i believe john talks about plain and precious truths that will have been lost when the bible comes forth to the gentiles (us) but that the bible when it came from the mouth of a jew before it was translated that it was true, so the plan of salvation was one of the plan and precious truths that was removed, kinda cool i thought. and going out with the missionaries will be great for erik, and more mission prep, those honestly helped me soo much in preparing for my mission. well i think that's about it for now, i'll write some more in the letter.
-Love you all and pray for you always
Danny

6th Week in the MTC

Hey,
so not much has happened this week, i've had a couple cool spiritual
experiences, being able to understand spanish and saying things i had no
idea how to say before. it's pretty fun, we've got 3 weeks left and i'm
getting a lil anxious. what all is goin on at home? julie and katie in
waterpolo?! that's pretty awesome. how's swim going for cassie? is carly
ready to go to idaho? The language is coming along pretty well, and i
just started over the BOM in a different way, studying it through
chiasmus, so finding what principle each chapter is focusing on and
writing summaries and comparisons of scriptures, so at the end i'll have
some scriptures in my own words. Umm....i don't know what else to say,
but i love you all and pray for each one of you constantly, i know the
Lord answers prayers. And i'm way excited to hear about where erik is
gonna go :) this is really exciting. well that's is all for this week,
i'll bring a few scriptures next week that i find cool insights to so
i'll have more to write about. Love you :)

-Elder Daniel Lang