Missionary Dan Email from the MTC #5

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s fifth email from the Missionary Training Center. Photographs are courtesy of LaRae Warner who’s son is serving with Daniel.

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. It is really amazing here. We have Christmas lights and many things to remind us of Christ. I’ve learned a lot about my Savior here. I strive to follow his perfect example.

Thanks for the pictures. I really like the one of Old Rickety. Dad, you look great for being so old!! :)

Thanks for the reminder Jake. I think I’ve been focusing too much on trying to know the scriptures and forgetting PMG has many scriptures in it. We did an exercise yesterday, our teacher gave us a scenario and we had to solve it using the scriptures. She told us she wanted every sentence we said backed up by scripture. It was great! The scriptures are great teachers and it gives validity to what we are teaching. They help us as missionaries be more direct and get the person more willing to commit to become better.

I really love the RC. I got to talk to a very nice man who was getting a free DVD. I asked him what he believed in first and I tried my best to understand it. It really opened him up to what I was going to say. Unfortunately he said he is rarely home and couldn’t meet with the missionaries but I think when the follow up call comes to see if he got the DVD he is going to be really open to discuss what he felt while watching the movie.

This Christmas my perspective has changed. In Mongolia they don’t celebrate Christmas and missionaries work hard the whole day. What a blessing this is! The true meaning of Christmas is doing something to brighten others’ day. It is in giving not receiving. I love the first presidency message by Thomas S. Monson. I’m glad for his great example of giving selfless service always. I want to try and be like him. I know he is a prophet of God and that he leads our church.

I challenge anyone who reads this to try and do one simple thing to makes someone’s day just a little better. Do it in secret. I promise you will feel the true spirit of Christmas and be happier.

Love,

Elder Willoughby.

In the photograph: Elders Horan, Apo, Weaver, Bigler, Nelson, Willoughby, and Warner.

Related Posts

List of Daniel’s missionary posts.