Elder Dawson Arrives in Taiwan

Elder Dawson With President & Sister Blickenstaff

Before going to his first Assignment in Douliu Taiwan

Week Nine Photos

Danny w Companion Sister Mangelson W Companion

Danny With Entire MTC District

Danny & MTC District with President and Sister Blickenstaff

Arrive at the Taipei Airport Oct 23, 2013

Danny With District Elders

Danny and his Companions

MTC Week 9 Last week

Dear Family, Cheese, and... wow... sorry, ran out of anything creative haha, 

     Yay emails!!! So today... last P-Day at the MTC.... its crazy!!! I've learned and grown so much, and yet I feel as if I still am stupid haha! That's good to know about my violin, it's going to be my carry on, so that it doesn't get broken :) Thanks for all the things you're doing for me back at home!! Sounds like you're having a great time at home!!! So I got to perform for stafford in his first meeting in the MTC, and he also stays in my building, so I see him everyday!! Plus, best part of this all, is that me and him have the same suit!! We're practically twins!! Except hes skinny and I'm.... well.... Its close. Moving on!! I can't wait to hear about your mission dad!! Any advice for heading out into the field?? I'm so excited to finally get started in the work!! 

So I really don't have a lot of time today, so here comes speed typing!! Please, no making fun of me if I mess up a ton haha, but here we go! So I promised last week that this week I'd focus on spiritual thoughts, so I'll give a super quick overview of my week, and then I'll talk about all the spiritual experiences here! And actually one of the coolest ones happened yesterday!! Ok, moving on

Monday: This is Literally all I wrote "P-Day!! yay!!"  welp. there ya go. 

Tuesday: This is how I started my journal entry "Wow, totally planned on writing more yesterday... awkward... repentance process on three! one, two, three!!"  Wow, I am so hilarious. Kidding haha! So Elder Roberts got a little sick, so we got medicine or him, and then we went to a devotional at night. Guess who spoke at the devotional!! Elder Oaks!! He is so smart, he basically blows my mind whenever he talks haha! His wife said to us "our missions aren't a time to boast of some language ability, it is a time to learn how to love like Christ" Elder Oaks took over and said "The Lord qualifies those he calls". That was a huge relief to me!! And I realized that one of the biggest things our mission is for is to learn how to love like Christ! It made me think of 1st John 4: 17-21 Which says: "17. herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is so are we in this world. 18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19. We love him, because he first loved us. 20. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21. And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also." Sorry, I know It's kind of long, but it really hit me hard!! Have no fear he said, because as long as we have "perfect love" or the love of Christ, it will cast out all fear. Something that helped me was the thought of going with instead of the word brother, use the word companions. This helped me so much, and I realized that I can't judge other people because they sin differently than me, I can only figure out why they do the things they do, and then learn to love them from it. Amazing. We must love the lord with all our heart, and why do we do that? because he loved us first. 

Wednesday: Hosted for the last time and performed at the MTC!! Score!!! this is what I wrote "I performed for the new missionary welcome, at both of them that is :D Finally, dream come true to have my performance be live shown on huge projector screens to 508 people!! Ah!! So cool!! They both went exactly how I would have them go!! 

Thursday: All I wrote once again "In field orientation!!!" how awkward. 

Friday: Dont worry, I wrote about thursday in Friday's slot, so heres what I wrote "So... In field orientation was.... sobering. It was 9 hours long, but super cool!! We learned about what it will be like to actually be doing missionary work, work with ward council, use key indicators, and set goals! Awesome." In one of the classrooms, a sister said this comment "If there is something stopping you from feeling the spirit, such as sleeping, then you need to get over that now!" Thats so cool! Smackdown Laid! Game set and Match! Haha! On friday we saw one of our teachers for the last time, so that was also sad :( However, in the nighttime class, we had a super cool spiritual experience!!!!!! We were reading Alma 14 about Alma and Amulek being thrown into prison, and then compared it with John 19 with the Savior. What Alma and Amulek had to go through was only a bit of what the Lord had to go through, and they held themselves properly! It was crazy seeing how with alma and amulek, Nehor said "Know ye not that I have the power to deliver you to the flames?" and then with the savior, Pilate said "Know ye not that I have the power to crucify thee?" They used the same wording!!!! They must have gotten it in a book of evil guy quotes or something! But how did The lord and Alma and Amulek respond? Silence. They said nothing! When people "torture" us, what is our first response?? because silence is the most powerful. If we want to make a difference in this world, I suppose sometimes silence is the way to do it. Other times speak your mind! haha 

Saturday: My journal entry "Wow.... 3 days left... this is an unreal feeling!! I'm leaving on my mission soon!! wow!!" and that was all... amen. 

Sunday: My favorite day!! Really, sundays are the best thing since my morning bagels that I eat haha! So, this is fun spiritual Experience day, and sharing it will be my journal :D ". I ended my entry saying "I'm ready to go out and do this work, and I pray the Lord will qualify me, whom he hast called to proclaim his word, and bring souls to salvation." Amen, awesome ending to a sunday!! 

So ya, that was the week!! Now, I keep saying I want to talk about my general conference notes, but it's just not happening. Sorry! When I have more time, I promise that I will write some back!! I have absolutely no idea when I'll have no time, so just expect me not to write anymore back, and if I do, be really excited :D    So ya, that was my week!!! Thanks for being so awesome!! And thanks Mom and Dad for putting up with me, and putting my letters on the blog for me haha, thanks ;) 

CTR,

Elder Dawson (of the Daniel variety) 

Last Week 8 Photos

Danny & Whitney with their Companions at the MTC

IE Sister Mangelson & Elder Dawson and Companions

All the Elders From Bountiful high that are on the same floor residence hall as Danny

at the MTC

Companion Tree Smelling (must be a Taiwan  pre departure ritual?)

MTC Week 8

Dear Family, Friends, Fried Chicken, and any cats reading this, 

     Thanks so much for the emails!!!! Especially you mom and dad, love 'em ;) Thanks for posting things on the blog!! I hope you got both last weeks email and the one before that didn't send.... they were both good :) and no worries, I will definitely be talking about conference more in this email, because its been cool to see how it now has applied to my life!!!! I hope moving in the new family goes good! I'll be praying for you, and how you'll pull that off without the amazing help of me (bwa ha ha!) Kidding. So if you have any spiritual experiences to share, or just funny stories from the week, that would be awesome to hear!! 

This Wednesday I will be hosting again, so I will definitely look for Stafford!! If I figure out where he's staying at, I'll for sure go and get a picture with him :) Also I did get the letter and stuff you send to President Blickenstaff, thanks for letting me know!!! Also on that note, well, I'll put that in at the end of the email :) 

Now, what I know you've all been waiting for, my travel plans!! (da da da DA!!) So. I leave the MTC at 6:30 AM on October 22, and take the Delta Air Lines flight 1299 from SLC to LAX at 11:30 AM. October 22. 2013. Yep. And then we land in LA, and leave 4:00 PM on the 22nd, and land 9:05 PM on the 23. Going from LAX to TPE Delta flight 7734. Glad we don't have to go through Japan!! Just straight there! well... almost :) Glad you could use this information! Do with it what you will, and I'll see you soon. I mean uhh... call you at the airport ;) yep!! So there's that!! and on to bigger and better things I suppose! 

So, biggest news besides the fact we got travel plans was probably the fact that I get to perform this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AH I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I get to perform my violin song "All Creatures of Our God and King" This wednesday at the new missionaries meeting, so guess who'll be there that will hear it?? Stafford!! AH! I'm so excited that I get to have this opportunity to perform at the MTC!! And I get to bring my violin to Taiwan???? I died. I died? I died. So excited!! I've been practicing like crazy, and I hope it goes well, but you know what, as long as the spirit is there, it will be good :) 

Oh, onto the week synopsis, as hosted by Danny Dawson's Journal: 

Monday: Well first off, on Monday I changed the pen that I use to write in my journal with, and let me just say, it was for the best. My journal looks so much more neat now, and I am in ultimate comfort writing in my journal now :) Spiritual Experience of Monday went like this "Well Today, P-Day, we did initiatory!! It's cool because in the morning I felt like I needed to do initiatory, so I told Elder Roberts and he said sure!! When we got to the temple, they said they needed Elders to do initiatory really bad, and I was like "Boo-yah!!" It was awesome!! After that we did service for an hour folding laundry, then did the other mundane things P-Day includes haha!" Yep, then we said goodbye to Elder Roberts friend Elder Hanson, and it was touching, and amen. Oh ya, and Skype TRC with some nice old lady in Taiwan. What a keeper ;) 

Tuesday: Bad Day. Real bad day. Not much more needs to be said about that day, but I wrote "Today I just want to curl up into a ball in some corner and cry and cry until I feel better." I'm better now!! But ya, that was a hard day for sure. Moving on *dramatic step forward* 

Wednesday: We helped our investigator stop smoking!! Score!!! plus, Wednesday was probably the best day with Tuesday being the worst! I wrote "Words can't describe how awesome I feel because of this gospel!! It's by far the best thing thats ever happened to me!! Seriously!!! I know the Lord loves me, and now I know more than I ever did before that he will help me in times of need." It was a good day indeed. 

Thursday: Had a brain fart moment, wrote in my journal "Wow, can't wait until its 13/13/13!!" Woooowww Danny. Wow. I mean Elder Dawson. This day a lot of time was spent with my companions planning a prank on another Elder. Funny, but Childish and not necessary. So that was a journey!! but I also got a package from my parents with the classiest sweater vests known to mankind, and I got a letter from Mariah with a bag of cookies stapled to it, who knew that was a thing now!? haha! Ah... oh ya! I also watched this cool video on "civility" and how apprently Georgve Washington had this book he read on "rules to civility" and how in our society in this age, civility is a dying thing! That was cool, and it made me want to be more civil, so look at that, another goal ;) 

Friday: So much happened on Friday!!! A lot I already talked about like travel plans and performing, but It was the day I realized how excited I am to go to Taiwan!! Ah!!! Plus we taught two lessons, Nailed one, and bombed the other! So... ya that was awkward haha, but I suppose nice and evened out ;) 

Saturday: Nothing really interesting happened Saturday.... Except for TRC with this awesome guy!! We connected way good, and helped him with this problem he was having with one of his friends. Awesome. Nailed it *high five* .... *but not with a sister, because that's not allowed* 

Sunday: Best spiritual experience day ever!! And, I wrote a bunch of letters. Amazing. I felt basically like I was on top of the world!! Here, journal, let me explain better "So today I got to perform my violin in sacrament meeting!! Naturally, because I have already given a talk, and because I was performing, I thought I'd be safe to not talk. boy was I wrong. I spoke. The performed haha, awesome." Later in the day we watched an amazing talk called "Missions are forever". In it he talked a lot about how we need to astonish people if we are to do correct work haha. "He also told us missionary work is meant to be hard. He aid the reason it is hard is because "salvation is not a cheap experience." plus he said that if your mission is done right, it should be hard." I went on writing in my journal saying "Preach my gospel. It's the lord's gospel, but lets make it more personal so it's ours to share. Amazing. I need to make these two years count as much as humanly possible, because as Elder Holland Says: "The road to salvation goes through Gethsemane, and we all have a cross to carry during it."  Well, Here's to making it count." It's points like this that really make me realize why I'm here, and become rededicated to going out for the work. 

So ya. That's pretty cool. I wish I had like 2 hours more to type and get everything I want to say in here, but I have no time!! ah!! ok, next week, I'll try to start with all the spiritual experiences so they don't get cut off from the end. Sorry, I'll talk more about what I learned from conference next week! Promise!! 

Ok, so just a reminder, if you could go to the bank and let them know that I'm leaving the country October 22nd that would be awesome :) Plus if you could call Karen Bergeson and ask her what I need to do to get my violin ready to go to the humid island of Taiwan that would also be really nice :) I just need to know what stuff I need to do to get it ready. She might say that we need to get something for it, and if that's the case could you send whatever it is to me? thanks so much!!  I love you all so much!! Especially my family :) The center of this church is family, and I love it! Thanks for being awesome, and thanks for supporting me so much on my mission! :) 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

Yay Photos!!! 

Elder Daniel David Dawson

The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter Day Saints

MTC Week 7

Dear Family, Friends, Previous people I may have met in a sandwich line, and turtles, 

     That makes me so sad that you didn't get my email last week!!! I wrote a ton I promise, and it said it sent, but I guess it didn't :/ Welp, there goes my perfect streak emailing every week. *sigh* So guess what?! For the first time ever, I stayed awake the entire conference, all sessions!!! I was so happy!! I took a ton of notes, and learned so much, and feel so edified! I'll talk more about my favorite parts in just a sec :) Yes indeed.... there's a lot of missionaries out... its like we're trying to convert the world or something ;) So if you ever don't get my letter by Monday at 6, feel free to send me a dear elder and tell me, so that I can run on and resend it, because it really bummed me out that you didn't get my last week email :/ Wow, I'm super spastic.... wow. 

     Travel Plans. Right. So we get them this Friday! ah!! So excited!! As soon as I know, I will write you the next Monday... so In a week I'll let you know haha! So I see Sister Mangelson every day, and we talk a ton! Her district has 7 Sisters and 2 elders, so that's pretty unique! She says she's having an amazing time, and I love being able to talk to her and have us both learning Chinese here! It's so cool!! Me an my companions are going... pretty well!!! They're so awesome, and they put up with my crazy-ness very well considering ;) They are so much fun to be around, and its awesome being able to learn and study with them :) I unfortunately haven't had a chance to perform yet, but I'm still keeping my hopes up that they'll let me perform somewhere!!! Please please please!!! Anything you send this week that would be awesome... Ya... photos.... warm clothes.... a rock... really anything would be great! haha

     So glad to know you still got to get away and go to St. George for the weekend, sounds like it was a party! Well, a pie party by the sound of it, glad to know you're all eating enough pie without me there ;) haha! Oh Taiwan food... I'm so excited :) Once again, sorry my letter didn't get there last week mom! sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!! I do hope you get it this week along with this letter!! Oh ya... me and Sister Mangelson have been meaning to take a picture together for some time, but we keep forgetting haha! No worries, It shall come!!! We shall get it to you!! :) Tell Cheryl I say back! So fun story, I've been reading a lot in "Our Heritage" And I read about all the hardships that the early saints went through. It's crazy!! I mean, some of the missionaries they sent out literally had nothing except Book of Mormons and the clothes on their back, and then here is poor ol' Elder Dawson going out with his three suit cases full of stuff. I mean, missionaries go without, but really in all honesty, we have so much that we bring with us, and receive so much from others! Both Physically, and spiritually. 

So. 

My week! And General Conference notes! 

Monday: P-day a week ago.... I got a package, with a lime green tie! yay!!! Best day ever!!! We also went to the temple, Learned more Chinese, and ate a cookie.  A week ago I also had to say goodbye to Elder Davis, and that was hard. He's so amazing, and I know he'll be really good on his mission, so I wish him good luck!! Ya.... 

Tuesday: Well heard another story from Elder Wuthrich, and guess what I found out! His cousin, Natalie Wuthrich, Went to bountiful with me, and I was totally in musical with her! Ah awesome connections!!!! Besides that awesome fact, this is what I had to say that day: "Ok so today I learned a lot, exercised a lot of patience, and studied! We had a super cool talk by a super cool man with an accent. He talked about how we are Christian." That guys name was president Baxter of the 70, and he told us a lot about how much charity and donations our church has done. I ended the journal entry by saying "Ah! Why are we so cool!!" Haha, right. Humility. On that. 

Wednesday: First day hosting!!!! I got to host three elders, and also talk to a bunch of dropping off families! In class we learned about teaching people and not lessons. We practiced aiming our lessons to the persons needs, and not giving a recited bit about how were there to teach them a lesson on the gospel. Right after class I got a haircut here.... Never again. Basically I look like a poor walrus that's missing half a head. ya, It was a bad haircut haha, but the cool part is they vacuum your head to get the hair off! That felt pretty cool haha. 

Thursday: This was the day Elder Wuthrich asked if I would room with him at BYU when we get back from our missions. I said why not! We both will speak mandarin Chinese, and we get along great! So ya, I guess I have my first college roommate now... odd... Why am I so old!!! 

So sorry these are kind of short day entries, sorry, I want to get to my general conference notes. 

Friday: This is literally all I wrote in my journal. "Great Day!! Yay!!" Wow. awful. Because now I don't remember that day, so I have no Idea what happened... yep. Moving on. 

Saturday. Started by saying "Wow that was a short Journal entry.... I probably need to repent haha!" GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!! I'll get more to that later :) I went and talked more to Elder Garcia, and that was super fun!!! But the coolest non-spiritual part about Saturday is that we found the bat cave!  here's what I said "Oh! Funny story, we found a bat cave!! Like a study kind, not a literal cave with bats. We drew a piano that goes on the front door, and we "play" it to get in and study! It's super quiet in there, and we don't allow people to talk, so It's cool how much studying happens!" Finally, I think I found a way to get my companions to study. Thank heavens. haha

Sunday: yay yay yay more conference!!!! (more later on that) but the cool part of Sunday was that we got to see Vocal Point!! They sang and shared stories from their missions, and I cried. Amen. 21 times at the MTC. Rocking it. Oh and Elder Wuthrich left today, so now I am friendless. Kidding, I still have my companions as friends ;) And My district... And Elder Hainsworth... ya.... 

Ok so on to general Conference, wow? Am I right?? It was so cool! I was surprised that they didn't announce any new temples, but I suppose there probably a reason for that, you know, all them missionaries out preachin' and stuff ;) haha, oh I sometimes think I'm funny... anyways! I Really loved how Robert D. Hales reminded us that we were listening to the Lords conference, and we would hear his words. The next thing that struck me super had was Edward Dube (cool accent guy) said, well I guess his mom said "Never look back, look at what we have to do". The more I thought about it, the more I realized its true! I mean, a lot of times we simply look at how much we've accomplished to make us feel better about ourselves, and to make us feel like we have to do less in the future because we've done so much. Elder Holland said "The past is to be led from, not to be lived in." It's such a rally to push forward with faith, trying our absolute hardest to do the most we can in the future. Missions are hard, but I know that if I approach it with the thought of "look what there is to do" and not with "look at what I have done" then the Lord will work wonders through me. In comparison with that thought, he also said an amazing quote about some... cattle? trying to move a stone. He said "It doesn't matter how strong you are alone, but how well you move as a team." As missionaries, we preach as a team. I have let some things slip by with not trying to help my companions as much as I could, because I figured I could just do it by myself. However, as soon as I heard that, it hit me that, no matter how strong I am as a missionary, it all matters about how me and my companion move together. We all must become one with preaching the gospel. 

S. Gifford Nielson said "Pray for the missionaries by name" *ahem* hint hint. 

Timothy J. Dyches quoted and said "With thou be made whole?" and all I could think was "I don't know, will we?" If want to be forgiven of our sins, and be able to move on, we have to be willing, and ask the Lord to help us, or else it wont happen. Another interesting concept he brought up was the fact that the second great law was "love others as you love yourself". To fulfill that law, we have to love ourselves. This has always been an interesting problem for me, but now I know that we cant just find solace in trying to help and serve others. We also have to help, serve, and love ourselves, so that we will be able to love others. Wowza. Game, set, match. 

Well unfortunately I only got through a third of my conference notes, and I'm out of time :/ but if anyone were to write me a letter this week, they'd probably hear more from me, just saying ;) haha, but to end, I just wanted to share another quote from conference that reminded me of the people of our church. Its from Henry B. Eyring, and he said "Remember you are the Samaritan, not the man, or the Levite that walked by." As people of this church, we are the good Samaritan's trying to heal others and bring them to the Lord. To be able to do that, we cant just say were going to try and help, then pass up opportunities, we must constantly seek opportunities to teach, heal, and be good friends. Helping people come closer to Christ doesn't have to be converting them to the church, sometimes, it simply means being their friend. Don't be the person M. Russel Ballard described when he said "People don't ask for opportunities to share the gospel, because they're afraid they'll have to." This gospel is centered on Christ, but that doesn't mean standing on the street corner preaching repentance unto the world. Reevaluate how you treat others, and If your being a good friend to those you interact with, and that will show you how well you are bringing people closer to God. 

I hope you have a great week, and I'll write more about conference next week I suppose!! 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

P.S. I hope you actually get this letter!! haha

P.P.S.: Photo time!!! 

MTC Week 6

Dear Family, friends, and otter pops, 

     I love when people write me!!! Especially you Dad, you may be old, but you've got some awesome insight ;) haha, and yes I did get the package, thanks so much for sending it!!! :D Oh and me? Talented??/ haha, thats funny Dad, real funny ;) I call you all to repentance!!! Jk, that statement is much more funny when yelled in Chinese.... ya.... moving on! To all those people that have written me, and I haven't written back, I'm sorry!!!! You shall recieve your answer soon!!!!! Wow that makes it sound like I'm famous and a lot of people write me... I guess I should say, to the two people who wrote me and I haven't answered yet, your answer is coming!! I promise!!!!! 

So past week I had an audition!!! I was going to sing two songs, "Consider the Lilies" and "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul" But then they told me I could only sing one.... darn. However, I chose "Consider the Lilies" and I sang. Well... I don't know how to say it went, they also said that I would perform somewhere, but then again they say that to everyone, so it doesn't mean that much haha. It was a little frustrating because she corrected some of my singing technique that I knew to do, I just didn't do because I was nervous!! Ah!! Curse you aqua scum!!! Overall though, I think I'll perform somewhere with either singing or violin... if not that would be really sad.... but oh well, I'm not on my mission to perform at the MTC, I'm here for something much greater :D 

You know sometimes I think to myself, I have nothing to write about each week!! My life is just the same every week here at the MTC, but then I remember, my district makes things interesting, and my feelings change every week!! ........ I still feel like I have nothing to write about this week, but don't worry, once my remembrance juices start flowing, We'll be in action ;) 

Oh. There they are. So did anybody watch the General Relief Society meeting thing?? two of the girls in my district were in it!! And we saw them like 20 times during the songs, and one of the people in our zone had a close up!! Super cool!! It was actually super funny though, because saturday night there was just a bunch of elders crowded into a small classroom watching the relief society devotional live waiting to see people we knew while they sang haha. Ahhh.... good times in room 115 ;) However, Our zone only has 3 districts in it, and two of them are leaving a week from today... then our zone will have one district, and the new mandarin district thats coming in this wednesday (with Whitney!!) is going to the other zone!!! How lame!!! Hopefully they combine us... haha, but I'm so excited, I'll get to see whitney all the time because our schedules will be the same!! Huzzah!!!!! 

Could we just have a moment of silence?.... thanks.... I needed that. 

ok on to the best part!!! the synopsis of my week (Journal Entries and all!) oh ya, and the reason that I use my journal entries sometimes, is because It captures the exact emotion I had while writing it, instead of me trying to recreate an emotion and rewrite about it haha, moving on!!: 

Monday (last P-Day): ah... Skype TRC day.... So basically last P-Day a week ago we went to the computer lab, and taught a member from Taiwan about the Gospel. Crazy hard!! But it was cool because she was also going on her mission to Taichung! So it was like, I guess I'll see you in like three months there... ya... how odd. But funny! Other than that, nothing interesting really happened.... 

Tuesday: Yay, wrote people back day! huzzah!!! (I need to have one of these days again...) So tuesday night we had a super spiritual devotional about what we should write home. Perhaps I won't say exactly what was said during that devotional, but know, I'm using techniques I learned from that devotional ;) 

Wednesday: GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what I said "It was literally the most magical thing opening them!! It was like the briefcase opening with smoke billowing out from dry ice! Ok not really, but there were ice pack in it, insulation, and the best tasting cupcakes ever!!!! I shared them with my roommates using a credit card as a knife (how funny thats all we had... hmmm....) awkward, but funny!!!" Bahaha, that was so awesome :) Thanks so much Jenny!!!!!!!!!!!!! Other than the cupcakes, we taught our investigator about the Book of Mormon and receiving revelation. Of course my companions did say I oversing things.... that was mean >:( but thats ok, they covered by saying I don't over sing, rather I sing songs too well that don't need to be sung that good (nice catch guys ;). I was singing Radioactive at the time, thats what made them say that haha! I mean uhh... I was singing the Spirit of God. Yep. 

Thursday: To start, what I wrote " Today was awesome!!! we ate more Cupcakes (basically a taste of the celestial kingdom), Elder Roberts got a package, we spoke Chinese, played some 4-square at gym, and just had a grand ol' day!" That was the day that I decided I was going to work on the Christ like attribute of "Virtue". Talk about a tough one. It easy to control your actions sometimes, but controlling your thoughts in always a tricky one, since then it has gone good!! My companions have really tried to help me with toning down some of the "Babylon" Stuff they would say haha (babylon means outside world stuff haha) so ya, great time!!! However, it was a sad day because we found out that one of our teacher (the one we all really liked) is leaving us!! Elder Nelson is leaving us to get married, I mean who does that!! He leaves us tomorrow, so darn, but oh well, I suppose marriage could be important... ya..... Oh ya, and I got my all Chinese name tag thursday also!!! yay!!! 

Friday: "Wow, these days just blur together!! Today was so good, we basically had a call to repentance on doing SYL (Speak Your Language) soo.... ya, tomorrow will be good!!! We finished the cupcakes today (Sad) but they were so good!!!" So ummmm ya... Friday was the day me and Elder Bird got into a little... argument.... haha. Nothing to serious, and there's no hard feelings now, but the coolest experience happened because of that! After our little spat, we were not talking to each other, and there was tension in the air, but the thing that got us back onto talking terms, and able to see past our disagreements, was talking about our Savior Jesus Christ. We started talking about his atonement, and how much he loves us, and that led into us saying sorry to each other, and then feeling better!! It really reaffirmed the fact that as long as two people are working towards the same goal of trying to come closer to Christ, they can work out any problem they may have. It's through Christ that we are able to see past others weaknesses, and just learn to love them for who they are. Amazing. 

Saturday: I don't remember a lot about what happened saturday, but I did write about Elder Ricks. So me and Elder Ricks had an awesome talk on how to look past others faults, and differences in personality, and it was amazing!! We bonded so much as we talked about how to work through problems, and how if you want to help someone, don't try to help by changing them, change yourself. Phenomenal, God Bless that man :) 

Sunday: Oh sunday.... such a fun day!! Best. Fast. Sunday. Ever. So besides the fact that there were flat singers, the day was good :) Here's what I said "In the morning I was feeling super hungry, and my stomach was rumbling super bad, and I couldn't study :'( So I bowed my head and prayed to the Lord, dedicating my fast to him and asking him that as I fast, I will know how to help my companions. Near the end I simply asked the Lord to help me not feel anymore hunger pains so that I could focus on the work. I kid not IMMEDIATELY there was relief in my stomach, and I didn't feel hungry the rest of the day. It reminded me that the Lord really does know me, and if he can take time out of his busy schedule to make a 19 year old missionary not feel hunger pains, then there is no physically possible way that He doesn't love us."  That was such a cool experience!! and from there, I knew that the day could only get better :D So how the day got "better" was that Elder Bird got pink eye, and we got to leave the MTC! Because it was a sunday, there was no doctor on staff, so we went to the Instacare nearby. The driver drove us there, and we found out Elder Bird not only had Pink eye, but also had an ear infection, and a sinus infection haha (lucky him). After that, the driver drove us to Walgreens to pick up his medicine, and look at that, they were actually selling caffeinated beverages!! what a novelty!! haha!! After that, we got back a little late to the Missionary conference, where we learned awesome insight on our patriarchal blessings and the Book of Mormon! In my journal, I drew a Book of Mormon Kung Fu Master Kicking satan's butt, thats how awesome I felt! We then went back, had temple walk, went to dinner, and then went to Sunday Night Devotional. Now usually these are the most interesting of devotionals, but this time it was the Provo temple president talking to us about the importance of temples. he said "We go to the temples before we go on our mission so that we will have the power to teach". He then also said about teaching that "The Authority is given you, but power is earned." What an inspirational man!! He also talked a lot about how apparently there are some women vying to get the priesthood. He said that if he could talk to them, he would tell them that they do not understand the temple. That in the temple, they recieve the same power the men do, and are to be treated as queens. He said he once heard a talk from Elder Balard where he said "If there is a man in the congregation who has ever raised his voice to a lady, you are guilty of abuse, stop it now!" Amazing. Ah, there was so much he talked about!! I'm out of time, and theres still so much I want to tell!!! Well really quick there was D&C 109:15, and he said about that scripture, there is a difference between growing up and getting old. He also said "Forget what the wold labels us, The Lord calls us Kings and Queens!!" AH so much amazing-ness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I really do have to go, but to end, I just wanted to thank you mom and dad for how you raised me. I don't want to bash on other people here, but some people are so rude, and have no idea how to be nice to people it baffles my mind!! When I think back to the lessons you two taught me, I realize I would never have, or ever want it any other way! I love you two so much, and I want you to know that even though I may not have shown it all the time, I love you so much, and think the absolute world of you two!!! I love you, and can't wait to hear from you soon!!! 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

P.S. If anyone has any questions... I suppose asking me them would be good... gives me something to answer haha!