Saturday, October 16, 2010

Jamaica to Provo

Well, I am back from my mission. I am currently at BYU Provo going to school. I live with a good friend and I am having a good time. My teachers are awesome. I have gone on dates since I have been back. Life is good. :)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Welcome home!

I have done horribly at keeping Daniel's blog up the last two months. We've been on vacation and sick, etc. Enough excuses:). I will update with all his recent emails soon. I just wanted to let you all know that Daniel will be HOME tonight! Welcome home, Daniel! We have missed you!!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Pictures

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Golfing at Ocean Club on Preparation Day with President and Sister Ockey.

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To my family

Dear Family,

Things are going well. We had a baptism on Saturday and a confirmation on Sunday. It went well. The man that was baptized is an awesome Jamaican. He joked that I keep telling him that Joseph Smith is a true prophet but he already knows! I had the opportunity to perform the ordinance. We had 5 people at church yesterday and 4 people are planned to be baptized Saturday and Sunday. I get to work with Haitians also. There is a Haitian member that comes out with us almost every night. If we don't come to pick him up sometimes he calls us. He is earning money for his family in Haiti. The work is going well. I am so happy that Nathan and Maggie have a new son.

Love,

Elder Mason

hhhiiii

This email was sent May 17, 2010

Dear Family,

I love you all so much. Things are going amazing. There were 8 investigators at church yesterday. We have 5 people who are going to be baptized this weekend and a wedding. I love life. We went golfing at Ocean Club today with President and Sister Ockey.

Parents: Dave Parkinson and I want to live together. Talk to him. He knows where he is going to live !!!

Love,

Elder Mason

Hello

This email was sent May 10, 2010

Dear Family,

I am doing really well. We went to Cabbage beach today with President and Sister Ockey. How are all of you? I am enjoying being out here. I enjoyed talking to you. I love you all very much.

Love,

Elder Mason

Bahamas=Amazing

This email was sent May 3, 2010

Dear Everyone,

Hi!!! It is good to have time to email my family once again. The Nassau is nice. It is Eastern time here. By the way, on my calls next Sunday, I can only talk to Mom and Dad.


Did I ever tell you that I have a new companion. Well, yes, I do. Elder Sizemore went back to Jamaica and became President Graff's assistant. My new companion is Elder Martinez.

On Thursday we had Zone leader council. It took place in Jamaica; however, we had the opportunity to listen to some of it through Video Conferencing. Here is were it gets interesting. Zone leader council happened on Thursday. We got a message from Elder Sizemore on Saturday night and we then called Jamaica. President Graff was honorably released on Friday night, then on Saturday he went back home. Elder Coleman of the Area Presidency is temporaraly filling in. I did not expect it. I am getting a new mission President.


It will be good to hear from you next week.

Love,

Elder Mason

Dear Family

This email was sent April 26, 2010

Dear Family,

I am really doing well. The couple got married on Saturday. Then on Sunday three people got confirmed. All three of them are awesome people. We cleaned the house really well today.

That was an awesome video, Nathan. It was really funny. Life is busy. I love you all. I will send pictures.

Love,

Elder Mason

Hello from the Carribean

This email was sent April 19, 2010

Dear Family,

I am doing really well. We had a baptism yesterday. She came to the church expecting to be baptized on Saturday. We had to teach her the rest of the lessons and she was interviewed on Sunday morning and baptized after church. The couple is still going to be baptized this Saturday. I had some really good experiences that I have been learning from. I have realized that I constantly need to be prepared and I need to constantly think about how I can be prepared. Mom, the picture that I sent was in President and Sister Ockey's duplex. It is similar to our place.

Love,

Elder Mason

Hello

This email was sent April 12, 2010

Dear Family,

How are you? I am doing very well. There is an awesome couple that is going to be baptized on April 24. We had a confirmation yesterday. This week went very well. There were 8 investigators at church yesterday. We are teaching many good people.

This week I saw the Lord's hand in the work. I was on a split with a member and I stopped and talked to a lady with a stroller. After talking to her, I found out that she happened to be a member from Jamaica. What were the changes? They really lead us to her so that we could help her.

I really do know that this church is true. I have felt the spirit many times this week. The Lord leads to those who are willing to following him.

Love,

Elder Dan R. Mason

Monday, April 12, 2010

Apron pic

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Here is a cool picture. Sister Ockey and I made a sweet apron.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

From Nassau

This email was sent March 29, 2010

Dear Family,

I am doing really well. We had a baptism on Saturday. It was awesome. It was for a man that works at the only five star restaurant on the island. He cooks the food. He is awesome. We have a women planned to be baptized next week.

Thank you for the package, Mom. I really like the fabric. Life is good. It is getting hotter. Things are going well.

We have been really busy and have limited miles and limited credit on our phone. President Graff was on the phone with Elder Sizemore (my companion) and he said that there needs to be ten progressing investigators by this Sunday. There are people out there that will keep their commitments. Those ten people are out there and Elder Sizemore and I will be there to help them come closer to Jesus Christ. Through the spirit and hard work, we can do this. It is going to take prayers also. I love you so much.

Love,

Elder Mason

From the Bahamas

This email was sent March 22, 2010

Dear Family,

Things are going well. We have met some really good people this week. There was a lady that Elder Sizemore wanted to talk to right as we were getting in the car. We went and talked to her and set a time that we could go to her house and teach her a lesson. When we went to her house she told us that she had heard a voice tell her to talk with us. She didn't, so I was glad Elder Sizemore felt the need to talk to her. She was prepared by the Lord. She stopped doing things that were not appropriate and started to live some major commandments before we even got there.

We had a baptism yesterday. Life is good. We are teaching some really good people.

Love,

Elder Mason

Hi!

This email was sent March 15, 2010

Dear Family,

How are you? I am doing really well. This week has been good. The two Elders that lived with us were transferred to Freeport, Bahamas. So Elder Sizemore and I are left on the island. President and Sister Ockey are still here. President Graff and President Ockey went to branch conference in Freeport. So when President Ockey came back from Freeport, I recieved a shirt and some crackers. The Elders in Freeport called and said there was some fudge or something left there. It would not have gotten to me for a while so I said that they could have it.

We are planning to have 3 baptisms next week.

President Graff had a conference with all the zone leaders this week; however, it was through video conferencing. It was awesome. He mentioned that we are probably the first mission in the world to do it. Then yesterday our zone had an online video zone conference. It was nice. It is a good idea because it saves time and money.

Love,

Elder Mason




Monday, March 8, 2010

New Address

Dear Family,

If you want to send mail please send it to this address:

Elder Dan Mason
31 Graham Avenue
P.O. Box ss-6360
Nassau, Bahamas

Love,

Elder Mason

Friday, February 26, 2010

New email

Hello Everyone,

My email is changing to danielm@myldsmail.net.

Thanks,

Elder Mason

Hello

Dear Family,

How is everyone? Thank you for the emails. I am doing well, The Tuesday I came to Nassau we went to a Z.L.C., first with Elder Coleman of the Seventy and then after we flew to Nassau.

This week has been good. Elder Sizemore is a great companion. I got the flu this week. I stayed in on Thursday and then went out on Friday. I went in early on Friday and stayed in all of Saturday.

There were two investigators at church yesterday and there are others that are reading the Book of Mormon.

It is raining lightly today. I really don't have much to say. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Dan Mason

Friday, February 19, 2010

Nassau, Bahamas

This email was sent February 15, 2010

Dear Family,

Nassau is amazing. We live next door to a senior couple. They are so nice. She made bread for us this morning. My companion Elder Sizemore is awesome. The house is awesome. The people are great. It might not even have been Nassau. The plane might have landed in heaven. The people are nice. There are many Haitains here. I am going to start to learn Creole. It is like Patois but for French and there is a Book of Mormon in Creole or Haitian. I love it here.

Love,

Elder
Mason

Monday, February 8, 2010

Hi

Dear Family,

How are you? I am doing very well. Savanna La Mar is great. I really love life. A man, his future wife, and their daughter came to church yesterday. They plan on getting married this Saturday.

Elder Goins is a good companion and is nice.

There was a baptism this week. It was a lady whose name was taken off the records.

Life is good. It is a nice sunny day today.

Jared, we also have cell phones in this mission. It is a blessing.

Ok...

Now I have good news and I have bad news...

Bad news...
I will not be serving in Jamaica for a while.

Good news...
I am going to be the zone leader for the Bahamas Zone.

The next email that I send is going to be good.

Have a good day.

Love,

Elder Mason

Back to the bike

This email was sent February 1, 2010

Dear Family,

Things are going well. We got transfer calls on Tuesday and I was told that I was getting a new companion on Wednesday. His name is Elder Goins. This is his third transfer. I also was told that there is not going to be a Mo. Bay zone anymore. They are going to form a North Coast zone and Savanna La Mar is going to be part of the Mandeville zone. So, Elder Tonks my former companion is now my zone leader. I am glad. Along with not being a zone leader anymore, I get to ride a bike instead of a drive a car. It is nice. I am getting more sun, getting a workout and seeing what it is like to be back on a bike.

There are so many things that have happened I don't even know where to start.
We had a baptism late on Friday night because the investigator was working. Then he was confirmed on Sunday.

I went to Santa Cruz on Wednesday while I was waiting for my new companion. It was nice. I love you all and hope that you are having a good day.

Love,

Elder Mason

P.S. Mom, I have not gotten the shirts yet.

The day before the call

This email was sent January 25, 2010

Dear Family,

I am doing well. Tomorrow is transfer calls. Anything can happen. The zone is doing well. We went to Negril last night. Elder Jones interviewed a man that was baptized this morning. I went on a split with the branch mission leader yesterday. It went well. We taught two good lessons and the spirit was there. He said that he had people to teach and wanted us to come over to eat sometime. I feel that I built some trust with him because the the spirit was in the lessons and we were worthy to have it. We have a baptism this Friday. It is an awesome elect young man. I love you all so much. Keep up the hard work.

Elder Dan. R. Mason
This email was sent January 18, 2010

Dear Family,

Things are going well. We had a confirmation yesterday for the baptism that happened on January 3. Last Monday night we went and stayed the night in Falmouth. Elder Jones and I both worked with the other Elders in their area. Then the next day we went to Negril where I stayed the night and Elder Jones went back to our area. The next morning we went to district meeting. Then we went to our area for a while and then to Lucea to stay the night and work with the Elders there. The only other companionship in our zone is the sisters in Mo. Bay. As you can see we have a small zone. We are the farthest zone leaders from the mission home. We also had 7 investigators at church.

Love you all so much,

Elder Mason

Dear Family

This email was sent Jaunary 11, 2010

Dear Family,

I love you all very much. Today is very windy. I had a good week. I really don't know what to say today. Elder Jones and I are supposed to go on an exhange every 2 weeks with every companionship. It is nice to see this side of Jamaica. We go to district meeting in Negril and there are many white people. Dad, that was an awesome hat. It really made my day.

Love You,

Elder Mason

Monday, January 4, 2010

2010

Dear Family,

How are you all? I am doing well. Life is good. I am very surprised that you now have missionaries that are living in the house. That would be awesome. Where are they going to prepare their food? Don't spoil them, Mom. Help them to be men. Ha ha.

We had a baptism yesterday. It went well. I went to a place named Falmouth on a trade-off. I also went to a place named Negril for district meeting on Wednesday. This part of the island is beautiful.

I hope that everything is going well.

Love you all,

Elder Dan Mason

Merry Christmas

This email was sent December 21, 2009

Dear Family,

I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas from Jamaica. I love you all. I have sent a letter to everyone. You will not get it until after Christmas. Email me when you get it.

Love,

Elder Mason

Happy December

This email was sent December 14, 2009

Dear Family and Everyone,

I am doing very well. Every week I have to write an email to President Graff about all the exchanges and things that happen during the week. This week it logged out on me and the computer did not send an email so I had to write a short one.

I have had an excellent week. One of the recent converts was made branch mission leader. He is going to do well. He teaches by the Spirit very well.

I went to do a follow-up interview in May Pen on Friday. We were led to a former investigator. We shared a scripture and talked about the blessing of the Holy Ghost. I felt prompted to commit him to be baptized the next day. He accepted. I interviewed him right there. Then the next day he was baptized. It was a miracle. He had gone to church many times because he has family that are members. We cannot take any credit other than the fact we are worthy instruments in the Lord's hands.

Elder Dan Mason

Christmas

This email was sent December 7, 2009

Dear Family,

I love you so much. Do I give presents to Nathan this year? I am having a really good time. However, I have no time to write. I bought a watch as my Christmas present. I love it. It was not too expensive but it is nice and will not break. I have testified as I have gone out the door each day. I feel the warm tingling in my soul of the Holy Spirit almost every morning. I love you all.


Love,

Elder Mason

Hot November

This email was sent November 30, 2009

Dear Family and Everyone,

I am doing well. My Thanksgiving day went well. I went on an exchange to Junction in the morning where I saw the shore and the ocean. I had fun riding a bike again. Then I went back up to Mandeville and had some time to teach. We ordered food at KFC and then went and ate it on a grassy hill with a good view of Mandeville. We talked a little and then went back out teaching. I really enjoyed it. I realized that it would be nice to be home to eat but I would rather be here right now. This is where the Lord wants me to be and I will never again get the chance to live this moment. I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

We had a baptism on Saturday night. Then he was confirmed the next morning at District Conference in May Pen. I realize that you do not know where these places are; however, I am still going to say the names. Our Branch President was released and we then sustained our new Branch President and Elder's Quorum President. I am really excited.

The Area Presidency said that Jamaica can baptize every week in every branch and that is what we are working for. We are going to need your prayers while we work hard to achieve it.

Love,

Elder Dan Mason