Missionary Dan Email from the MTC #11

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s eleventh email from the Missionary Training Center. Daniel’s departure for Mongolia has been delayed. Instead he leaves on Tuesday for Atlanta, Georgia while waiting for his visa for Mongolia.

Wow Adelaide! There is no nice way to put this but your stomach is much bigger than I remember it. :) It’s exciting that there will be another baby soon.

Jake, thank you so much! Yes, send all the advice possible, I am seeking as much knowledge as I can get. I couldn’t ask for a better idea. Your experience is one that I had just yesterday. I don’t recall a time where I bore my testimony that someone could find out for themselves of the truth of the Book of Mormon more. I invited the lady three times to meet with the missionaries but when she found out we worship on Sunday she stopped listening. She believes firmly that we need to keep all of God’s commandments but she thinks Saturday is the real sabbath. She doesn’t belong to a religion — she is searching the Bible for truths. I couldn’t have been more excited for her and my companion said I said, “You found it!! This is it!! This is Christ’s true church.” Something like that. I think I could teach the first lesson better. She kept showing all these interesting things in the Bible. I thought of a few ways I could maybe prove her wrong but the Spirit prompted me to just bear my testimony that I know this is Christ’s true church. Perhaps I was just meant to plant a seed. I have no doubt that she knows I firmly believe and know this is Christ’s church and that she can know for herself by reading the Book of Mormon.

As you are saying I know I could have talked to more people but I wanted so badly for her to realize how close she was to finding all her answers to her questions, that I think I ignored some promptings from the Spirit. The really long phone call had some good in it. She wanted to send me something in the mail so I gave her my address. The Spirit prompted me to commit her to visit Mormon.org and send in her letter something she learned about our church. I know that if she continues searching she will find the truth and I promised her that.

Thanks Jake, I have really searched out the question you told me to. I don’t have the time now to tell you my answer but I really am thankful for the help you are giving me.

Mom, sounds like you are staying extremely busy. Kelsey really likes the Davis Park ward. Thanks for the encouragement — it’s great to hear. My leg is awesome. An elder here runs track and yesterday he “made” me run a mile really fast. He is insanely good at track. He paced me to run a 5:31 mile on the crazy weird indoor track here. That’s nine seconds off of my PR for the mile so I think my leg is completely healed. I have lost five pounds which is weird.

So everyone knows I am temporally assigned to Atlanta, Georgia. It’s so exciting to be able to go out and do missionary work! I know I am called to go to Mongolia so I am not worried about getting there soon. All I truly want to do is show Heavenly Father how much I love Him by doing all I can to help His children. I lack many of the skills of a great missionary but I rely on Him to teach me what to do and say. It doesn’t matter where I serve as long as I can be serving others. I know there is a reason for everything and I may not understand all of it at first. The Lord has a great purpose for me and I will be an instrument in His hands.

Thanks for all you do family! I love you all and I am always grateful for your example.

Love, Elder Willoughby.

If any reader wishes to ask Daniel a question or to send him a message, write it in the comments and I will make sure he receives it.