Last Monday when I was on the computer I received a phone call from a private number that I didn’t really want to answer, but I knew that is what I needed to do. So I answered it when I was in the middle of e-mailing and writing my weekly update. It was one of our former investigators a guy who has been taught in the past it was about one year and a half ago that he was taught. He has read the whole book of mormon, doctrine and Covenants and the Pear of great price. He also when and bought all of the Work and The Glory’s. He is an awesome guy. He just has a lot of doubts about joining the church. He says that He knows that it is true and everything that Joseph Smith claims to have said is true. So we are praying for him and hoping that good things will happen for him.

This week I had an interview with President Nelson, He is such an amaizing guy, I know that he is a guy that has been called of God to lead and guide this mission. He is completely inspired with everything that he says and does. I look up to him so much. He told me this week that it is about that time for me to go to another area in the mission, he didn’t tell me where yet though. He tells me that I have changed so much as a person from the first time that he met me.

Okay… So this week I went on exchanges and I was with my district leader and we went to go so one of Elder Deogny’s and mine investigator. When we took the elevator that looked like it was from the early 1900’s ha ha. It sounded like the chords were going to snap. So we went and we taught the lesson to this lady. Then on our way out we took the elevator, because she lived near the top of the building. So we were on our way down and we came to a sudden hault. Yep we got stuck in the elevator for 45 minutes, ha ha it was hillarious.

I only have 5 min left on the computer so I have to wrap it up. I spent to much time e-mailing my family. I have been so bad at writing lately so today I am going to try to catch up a lot on my letters that I have to write so yeah I love all of you and I am sorry this haves to be the shortest weekly update ever.

Love Elder Doyle

Hey everyone, I want you to know that I am having the greatest experiences here in New York. I am thankful for the love of God that I feel as I am faithfully willing to submit myself to his will no matter what. I know that it can be hard sometimes to do that, but my faith is continually increasing. My love for the people here is increasing as I have been praying that I might be able to develop that Christlike love for the people here in NYC. As I have been developing this greater love my desire to share the gospel with everyone is increasing stronger and stronger. As I have been developing this greater love I have been able to express it to others with more sincerity of heart. Others notice and feel that I truly love them and they want to hear at least what I have to say.Elder DeOgny and I have built more of a Solid teaching pool and now we are going to do all that we can to help these people understand and feel the love that God has for them, and that they may be able to see and feel Gods loving hand guide them in their life. We have been praying and fasting that we may be able to receive the necessary guidance that we need as missionaries to be lead to those people who the Lord has prepared for us, and that are ready to accept our true message of the savior and his restored church. We stand and testify with love everyday of the truthfulness and fullness of the Gospel that has been restored and is now whole for each of us to read ponder and pray about. This week we werent able to get Bishop and Saeed to church. We have been doing all that we can for them. We went there this week and their Grandma wasn’t so certain about allowing these boys to be baptised. We sat her down and explained with Boldness of the authority that our church has and that Christ’s church is back in the fullness for everyone to take upon themselves fully the name of Christ. We asked the boys right in front of her how they feel about the things that we have taught them. They both said that they believe the things that we have taught them, and that they wanted to be baptised. I then turned to Pat (grandma) and I told her; “Pat you have your own faith and they have theirs, now allow these two great boys to follow their hearts and what they believe. Don’t keep them from following their true feelings.” I feel that when I said that to her, her heart was softened. We went back a few nights after that and brought them some cookies that we made for them with a little note. We brought one of the young men from the ward with us. She invited us in when we got there and we asked her what she is doing on a Friday night. Our goal was to go out and do something fun with the boys. She allowed us to take the boys out and go get some pizza so that is what we did. It was fun to spend some quality time with these boys.We feel that we worked to hard on the grandma this past week that we kinda lost track of the boys and their progress, so this week we are going to work hard and get them back into reading and praying more. I know that this is going to be a miracle if these boys get baptized this transfer, but I know that this mission experience is full of miracles and I have already seen many miracles and there are more to see as I am here. I don’t think much about home anymore, I feel that I am now more focused than I ever have been on this work and I am ready to work even harder than I am now. I really have been doing my best though, but I want to do more. One thing that I don’t have enough of is Time, I feel that I need more time while I am here. So I will do my best with the short time that I have here.I love you all and I am thankful for the opportunity that I have every week to write this weekly update for all of you to read. Love you all!
Elder Doyle

This week has been such a wonderful experience as I have now been given this extra important responsibility to train my new companion straight from the MTC. He is such an amazing person his story is amazing. His name is Elder Deogny (de-onie) he is from Las Vegas, Nevada. Now about him he was converted to the church 1 ½ years ago. He had a school teacher that he got close to. This guy, his teacher invited him to come to his baby blessing, he was excited to go to the baby blessing for his teachers daughter. He then wanted to know more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His family was mad at him for him wanting to know more about the church. Elder Deogny then was baptized and his family totally disowned him. This Elder has not spoken to or seen his family for 1 ½ years. It is amazing that he is now on a mission serving the Lord. It makes me realize how important it is to submit ourselves to the will of our Father in Heaven. I know that Elder Deogny will be blessed throughout the rest of his life for this decision that he has made.So this week it was a great week, we have 2 new baptismal commits for these two young men one is 17 and the other is 11 almost 12. There names are Bishop, and Saeed. They seem to have such a desire to know God more fully and to draw closer to him. It was good I am going to do all that I can in my power to make sure that we get a few baptisms this transfer within these next 5 weeks that we have left in this transfer. It will be good for Elder Deogny. I only have 10 minutes left to finish this and send this e-mail off. So this week is going to be a shorter weekly update, but I feel like I have a lot to say.Brother Barton has moved out of our ward but 2 of his oldest daughters stayed here. So he is no longer the Ward Mission Leader. I am a bit sad about that I love him a lot and he was such a great example to me. He moved back to California. This next week is a big week for Elder Deogny and I, we found a few new investigators this past week and I hope that we can get a few of them to really progress, also we have to still find some more people who have been prepared to receive our message. It really is so amazing the way that I feel right now, I feel the Spirit so much and I feel such great peace and joy in my life as I am here serving the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. Well I have to get this sent now or I might run out of time!

Love you all; Elder Doyle

Time for the cold! Me & my comp all bundled up.

This is on P-Day with some other missionaries at the queens museum.

This is Joey, he makes the best dogs in town. He always hooks me up with dogs.

This is Margaret, my very first baptism! Brother Zimmerman from the ward baptized her.
Here in New York, we like to have someone from the ward perform the baptism,
because it is hard for people to stay active.

Long Island City "Queens."

Hello everyone, this week has been such an exciting week. I have a lot to explain to each of you. I know that I told all of you that I was going to be transferred this transfer, the reason why I said that is because everyone that I came out with left there 1^st area last transfer, besides one other Elder who is serving in East New York (the ghetto). So I thought for sure I was going to be gone this transfer, I was even saying bye to everyone.

Well …. On Friday I was on my way to district meeting, I was waiting for the subway when my mission President, President Nelson called me. His words were; “Elder Doyle, this is President Nelson, are you somewhere that we can talk for a second?” I then explained that I was waiting for the train, and on my way to district meeting. He replied; “I know that you have been in Astoria for 4 transfers already, and that is a long time, I need you to stay there for at least one more transfer. I know that this doesn’t happen with a lot of missionaries for this being your first area, but I need you to train, this transfer. Can you do that for me?” I told him that I would love to do whatever it is that the Lord wants me to do. He then explained what responsibilities come when you train a brand new “greenie” straight from the MTC. He said that I have to work my very hardest that I have ever worked my whole mission, but I feel that I have been working my hardest for most of this whole time. I know that I have to work even harder. President Nelson explained that I have to be obedient with exactness and that this new missionaries rest of his mission is on my head, and that I have to work him like crazy and do everything right.

It is crazy I thought for sure that I was gone and that my current companion was staying, but it went the other way around. I am staying and my companion Elder Saeyang is gone, he had just barely learned the area, him being here for only one transfer (6 weeks). He was bummed that he had to leave because he loves this area.

What is going to make this next transfer so great is not only am I going to work my very hardest that I have ever worked for something, but my "pad mate" he is a spanish speaking Elder, Elder Norris. He is also going to be training, so we are going to be living with 2 “greenies” and we are going to be working out bums off! I feel that President Nelson has a lot of trust in me. It has been an answer to my prayers, I have been praying that I can have a new mind set with a new motivation that can influence me to work my very hardest I only want to work harder and harder. I know that this is an answer to my prayers. I am so excited for this new transfer and for this new responsibility that I have.

I know that God truly does answer prayers, I see it so much. He hears my prayers and he answers them. I read a great quote this past week in a book that was sent to me by my Mom. It was when Elder Holland was on his mission and he got a letter from his Grandpa, his Grandpa told him that "If you are thinking about home then you are not working hard enough." These past few days I haven't been thinking about home at all, but I am always praying for each of you individually every night so no worries about that.

Well I am not going to write anymore on this weekly update, because I am sure that I will be writing a lot these next 6 weeks. I am sure that this new missionary wants to work hard and that he is going to be motivated, I am going to work him dead. I am so excited, it will bring back the memories when I first got out here and it was my first day. I went from the mission office and took my baggage to the Pad and got right to work. I know that he has a lot of mixed feelings right now. I am going to love this missionary and show him how to do Gods work the right way, the way God wants his work to get done. I hope that I can get this kid a few baptisms this transfer, but it is going to require a lot of hard work. I have to go now I love you all!

Elder Doyle