Hey everyone!!! This week was another week of miracles, as I am currently embarking in a work full of miracles. I will probably be quick with this weeks update. Raymond Graves was baptized on Saturday the 24th. He is truly such a great addition to the East New York Branch. I am truly grateful for the decision that he has made to take upon himself this sacred covenant and to be baptized. He comes from a rough family with pretty much nothing in his house. When he sleeps at home he sleeps on the hard floor with light sheets and no pillow. He is such a humble person. I am happy for the kid! It was great to have his mother come and attend the baptismal service for him. As I mentioned last week we made a goal of having 5 baptisms within the space of 7 days, well it didn't work out quite as expected. We felt that it was best to move Lee's baptismal date back to a later date so that she may have some extra time to prepare herself for this special sacred day that is going to enter into her life. She was ok with us moving her back a bit to help her more spiritually prepare, so yeah she didn't get baptized this week. She has come such a long way and I just pray and hope that she can keep it up and work towards what she wants in life. We weren't able to get her baptized this past week, but we were able to get Nicholas Baptized. So we did get those 5 Baptisms within the space of 7 days. Nicholas is a 10 year old boy. Someone that the old "Pad Mates" were working with, and he had a baptismal date for a couple Saturday back, but he didn't show up for his baptism and they weren't able to get in touch with him. So on Saturday night I gave his mother a call she and I mentioned that the other Elders have been transferred out of the area, and we were left to take it over. She explained that her son still wants to be baptized, and that she was planning on coming to church the next morning. So, I asked her to bring him a change of underwear and we can fill up the font and baptize him after sacrament meeting. So she showed up with her son the next day and we filled up the font and baptized him. That is something that I like to call a straight up "Ghetto Bap". It was crazy doin that, but it was fun. I mean what can you expect we are in the ghetto of NYC, which NYC is ghetto to begin in the first place. Nicholas isn't someone that we really taught, so we don't count it as one of our baptisms, but at the same time we did baptize him. Also this past week we invited Ella to be baptized on August 14th and also Anitra to be baptized on August 7th, so right now we have 3 investigators with baptismal dates, and the work is continually growing here in the area of East New York, Brooklyn. I am now about out of time so I have to wrap it up here. I hope that you all enjoy these weekly updates, I pray and hope that in someway they may be an inspiration to you all. This work is sacred and the Church is true. I am so thankful to be here at this point and time in my life to share the gospel with everyone! I love each and everyone of you. The time will come quickly that we will see each other again.

Here are some pics from this past Friday and Saturday. I hope you enjoy!

Ok, so I don't have much time, but I truly have so much to say right now. so I will be as fast as I can. So let me be short with what has happened this past week, I know that last week I mentioned that my "Pad Mates" got punched in the face so yeah, they have both been transferred out of the area and they didn't bring in any new missionaries to take their place so yeah, we now have an added responsibility to teach 2 investigators that they have been working with. Elder Palmer and I are excited to work with these 2 new people and we have already made a smooth transition with Anitra, she is someone that we now have inherited into our teaching pool. So yeah now Elder Palmer and I have the whole ghetto to ourselves. I absolutely love the Ghetto this is where I belong for now.

We had an amazing week, on Friday I had the wonderful opportunity to baptize Gail Branch. On Saturday Elder Palmer and I both had the opportunity to baptize Jhole and Rudy Bradford. It was such a spiritual experience. Also this week we invited Raymond to be baptized, who happens to be one of the Bradford boys friend. Raymond has been taught everything and he is looking forward to be baptized this coming Saturday. We had to call his non-member mother to see if she is ok with Raymond being baptized. She mentioned to me as I was on the phone with her that she asked him a lot of questions about the things that we have taught him and about the importance of baptism. She told me that he is ready to be baptized and that she wants him to be baptized. So yeah on this coming Saturday both Raymond and Lee are planning on being baptized. I never thought that we would be able to get 5 baptisms in the space of 7 days. I know that they are not our baptisms, but they are people whom the Lord has prepared and placed them in our path and are ready to accept the restored gospel in their lives.

This past Thursday night we invited Ella (Star is what we call her) to be baptized on August 7th. She is currently pondering and praying about it she is looking to be promising for that date. We will always keep her in our prayers and hope that she can be willing to accept the restored gospel into her life. Ella, I don't know if I have talked to you all about her yet, but the way we found her is we were on the Bus and I went and sat down next to her and started to talk to her about what we do as missionaries. She absolutely loves the work that we do. She says that we are such spiritually and mature young men.

Tonight is going to be an amazing night we are going to an amazing restaurant in Queens with Bro. Amato, he does so much for us missionaries. We are going to eat at a place called "Park Side" it is a high class Italian restaurant. We went their once before with Bro Amato. This will be a good start to a great week that we have planned ahead of us. Maybe he feels bad that Elder Palmer and I are "Lonely Soldiers" without "Pad Mates" well Elder Palmer and I we get a long very well so we are good, but the food tonight is going to be amazing. Ha ha ha. Well it is time for me to go. I love you all so much thanks for the love and support that you all have shown me. I have been horrible at writing people, I have to get better at that. I will try to get back in the groove with writing.

Love you all!

Elder JD Doyle

07-12-2010

It is such a blessing to have a little bro that is going to be joining the service of God amongst all the other young men serving their missions throughout the world. I am so excited for him, he is going to be serving in the Orlando, Florida Mission speaking Haitian Creole. It is an eternal blessing in my life that my little bro has made this great decision to serve a mission, I am a personal witness of what a mission can do to an individual as well as to others where we are called to serve. He will truly be used as an instrument in the hands of the Lord to touch the lives of others that will effect their eternal salvation.

We will be having 3 baptisms this week, my comp and I are pumped up for this week. We are going to be baptizing two future missionaries, and a lady that has a strong belief in the Book of Mormon and his restored gospel. We both feel that the Lord truly has put a lot of trust in us as we have been here in East New York. We are doing all that we can to serve others, something that I have noticed is that I have been called to serve, not to just teach. There is a great spirit that has entered into my life as I have been seeking for opportunities to serve others, I have developed such an increased love for others and have truly given myself over to the Lord and am now being used as a tool in his hands. I know that when we serve others that is what allows people to open their hearts and minds to listen to the message that we have been called to share. Through small simple acts of service we change as individuals, and make this world a better place.

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to the Bradfords house to bug bomb their house that is infested with millions of Roaches, it is disgusting how many roaches we killed yesterday. After church when we got back to her house there were still a lot of roaches crawling around, so we used the rest of the bombs. We have truly helped her get her life in order and help her family come closer together through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She told me yesterday that she is begging to feel that she has a house of order and a house of prayer.

Lee one of our investigators who is getting baptized on the 24th got in a serious fight in the Bronx, she got her bum whooped by like 4 girls. I know that it is Satan trying to pull her into another direction to destroy her life, but she is holding strong and recognizes that it is because she is working hard to be baptized. She is such a great person who has also made such a huge turn-around in her life. We will probably go see her today to check up on her.

Speaking of fights though, our "Pad Mates" were walking down the street and there was some kids that were following them and one of them punched Elder Edwards in the head and he mentioned the he is a missionary. He is currently with another missionary who is brand new to the mission, so I am sure that he is scared as heck. Ha ha ha, President Nelson called me and told me to help them out and teach them how to avoid that from happening. SO yeah, I don't have much time left, but yeah we have a lot of work this week with getting these baptisms all ready. I love you all!

Elder Doyle

Hey everyone, I am so happy because transfer calls came this past week and the Lord needs me in this area still to finish the great things that have been started. What a blessing it is from the heavens above to have this great success in bringing souls back to our Loving Heavenly Father. This past week was sooooo great for our companionship. All of our 4 investigators with baptismal dates are still promising to be baptized on their current dates. So yeah we will continue to work with them. So next week we have 3 baptisms planned in 2 days for the 16th and the 17th.

Today I am doing my e-mails late today because I had to go paint a patio this morning for someone very important to us that we began working with yesterday. There is a guy from Texas that showed up to our Branch yesterday, and he came up to me after sacrament and said that I am the one that is going to bless his family. He served a mission here in NYC, and his wife is from here. His wife is the only member of her family and she said that she went to the temple and she knows that she had to come here at this time, and she realized that this is what it is for. She is going to be here for one month and her husband is going back to Texas. They are putting their full trust in the Lord that we can be able to introduce her mother to the truth.

This past week we were walking home and there was a man in the street screaming and swearing, so we looked over and there is this Spanish guy holding a lead pipe and chasing him. The guy being chased ran over to us and the Spanish guy went back to his house and this pour man started crying to us and he said that he was just trying to sale his $1 Bottle waters, and out of no where he was being beaten with a rod. It was crazy.

Also Linda one of our investigators her and Joe took us to a way nice restaurant on Monday night it was an amazing fish house. It was so good. We also helped her paint her fence on Saturday, she had a huge BBQ for us as we were painting. She grilled up Chicken, Ribs, Burgers, and NY Dogs. It was amazing. Linda and Joe are amazing people, I absolutely love them so much they are so great.

This week, early morning I received a phone call from Elder Oliverson telling me that he is on the way to the airport. I congratulated him on his success and for serving his 2 years faithfully and dedicated to the Lord. His homecoming is going to be on Sunday July 10th at 9:00 AM on Hidden Valley Rd. & Raddon Dr. located in the Bluff in Sandy. If you want to talk to him more about the mission where I am serving and stuff you can go and talk to him, but most importantly he is a great friend of mine and I really love him a lot. So you should go support him.

Well I have to get going now, I love all of you!

Elder Doyle

from June 21, 2010:
Here are a few pics of Tinas Baptism on Saturday, and also from today when Elder Palmer and I went to the Brooklyn Bridge. So you can see what I am wearing right now! ha ha. Well I love all of you! Sorry I wish I could send more Pics, but here in Brooklyn I cant find a good place to get my pictures developed. Elder Doyle

Wow, I don't know where to start this week was such a special blessing in my life. I have now realized of the things that I am capable of fulfilling as a missionary, but most importantly it is not me but it is the convincing power of the Spirit that plants a desire to change in the hearts of those we are teaching. This week we had such a strong week. We have 4 investigators with Baptismal Dates, yesterday we had 9 investigators at church and 7 of them came for the first time. They all loved it so much and they cant wait until next Sunday so that they can come again. We have Gail getting baptized on the 16th. We have Sister Bradfords two boys Jhole and Rudy, ages 10 and 13 getting baptized on the 17th. We have Lee she will be getting baptized on the 24th of July. All of these individuals are progressing so much, and are all excited to be baptized. I truly know that the Lord is entrusting my companion and I with these precious souls. It is such a good experience for my companion Elder Palmer, this being his first transfer and we have had 1 baptism and we have 4 baptisms coming up. As we look at those that we are currently working with we have the potential to have a solid 7+ baptisms within the next 6 weeks. This past week we went over to two of our newer investigators homes, which they live in a way nice home in the hood. Their names are Linda and Joe, they are both about to retire. After we were done talking to them about the church we went out onto their front yard and I noticed a puddle of water on their grass. I mentioned that I specialize in Sprinklers, she told me that she paid someone to come fix that problem but it didnt get fixed. So I asked if they had a shovel and I started digging and I fixed their sprinklers and I got my pants all muddy and my tie muddy as well. I also adjusted some of their sprinkler heads. They were so grateful for the service that we were able to give to them. Joe insisted to let him take us out for dinner on Tuesday (tomorrow). This is going to be a great opportunity for us to connect more fully with Linda and Joe. I finally am going to be able to ride in a nice car as well he owns a new BMW, Its a nice "whip" as you would call it in "da hood". So I guess my past summers working sprinklers with Jim came in handy here on my mission. Thanks Dad! Now hopefully we can get Linda and Joe baptized. As of right now they are doing their readings from the Book of Mormon and seem to enjoy our company and the Spirit that we bring into their home and life.I want to quickly give a brief description of those who are going to be baptized in the coming weeks:Jhole and Rudy: They are brothers and their mom is someone who found us as we were walking down her street. Their Mother is a member and has been a member for 20+ years and she hasn't been to church for the past 5 years, and now she has came to Church the past 2 weeks and is coming back strong and she says that she will never fall away again. The Boys are so pumped to be baptized on the 17th. Gail: She is someone that we looked up that happens to be a former investigator, she has a cousin who happens to be her best friend that has been a member for 20 years. Gail has been investigating the church for 20 years, and is so excited to be baptized on the 16th (her fathers B-day). She has a solid testimony of Joseph Smith and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. She is amazing.Lee: When we met Lee she didn't believe in God or anything and she was very suicidal. She told us the other day that when we met her she was thinking about going to commit suicide. Right now she reads from the Book of Mormon everyday and wants to change. She loved church yesterday, we taught her the Law of Chastity and she broke up with her Boyfriend, because he said that he cant do that. She tells us that we changed her life, and she is so thankful for us. We tell her that its not us, but it is her inner commitment to follow the example of Jesus Christ. She is solid. She is still surrounded by a lot of negative influences that live around her, but as of right now she is doing good at being an example to them and separating herself from them. She knows that she needs to be baptized, and she is committed to being baptized on the 24th of July. Well I now have to get going I am about out of time. I love all of you have a great week. I also want to congratulate my little bro Tyler on his decision that he's made to serve a mission. He is going to do great and the reward that he will receive will be an eternal reward. Wherever he is called is where he needs to be. Love Elder Doyle