The Book of Dan: Serving Across the 34th Parallel

Unlike the majority of those fare-welling and snapping photos this chilly pre-Christmas morning at the Salt Lake Mission Home, Dan Hiland is not a lifelong Mormon. Raised a Methodist, his recent decision to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has both blessed his life and perplexed his immediate family. And though he believes he’s doing the right thing by serving a mission, that’s about all he knows. That, and the fact that he’s being sent to South America. An uncomfortable mix of hope, loneliness and uncertainty, Dan wonders how he’ll adapt to the rigors of missionary life. What if he doesn’t like being a missionary? And how will he learn to speak Spanish? Does he really have to knock doors all day? And just where is Argentina, anyway? By turns hilarious, sad, uplifting, maddening and at times just plain strange, The Book of Dan recounts Elder Hiland’s experiences serving a full-time mission in the western half of Argentina. While its citizens battle the effects of runaway inflation, corrupt politicians and a police force running amok, Elder Hiland is waging a few battles of his own. For every success there is a setback. For every slammed door, another one opens. And for every psychotic landlady, flat bike tire or vengeful neighborhood dog, there’s growth and increased understanding about the joy that comes from serving others. Before it’s over, he’ll be a different person: wiser, a trifle more skeptical, but also more like the man he aspires to become. But first he has to survive eight weeks in the Language Training Mission…