Weekly Update 11-29-10

     It was quite the week for me. I hope that each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and had the time to reflect on all of the great things that the Lord has blessed you with, and that you are thankful for. I am so grateful for each of you and for the love that you all have shown me at one point in my life, or many points in my life depending on who is reading this. This Thanksgiving of mine, I was able to attend a turkey bowl with my zone, "Zone 5" vs "Zone 6" it was so much fun, my zone was able to show Zone 6 What a "Turkey Bowl" was all about. We had so much fun, I was sore for like 3 days, but I am feeling good now. The Chinese people here don't celebrate thanksgiving so I didn't quite have a Thanksgiving like I did last year. So luckily the ward had a thanksgiving feast for everyone who wanted to come so we just went to that. It was good and at least I was able to eat some turkey, so that makes it worth it and somewhat feel like Thanksgiving. So yeah it didn't really feel like Thanksgiving to me, but I had a unique experience here in China Town.

     This week most of our investigators were out of town, but yesterday they were all back and were all able to make it to church, Gem wasn't able to be baptized yesterday, but she is getting baptized tomorrow. So  yeah tomorrow is a big day for us in which we are very excited and grateful for. Yesterday at church was great. Last week there was a Chinese guy that got baptized, I cant remember if I told you guys about him, but he is such a cool guy. His English name is Ethan, he speaks good English but not that much can he speak. Yesterday he asked me to do his confirmation in English, I was a little shocked at first but he was serious about it and he really had a strong feeling about me confirming him as a member of the Church. It was a great experience. I was also asked to share my testimony in the Sacrament. I am truly always grateful for every opportunity that I have to share the things that I know, and what the Lord has powerfully witnessed to me through His great love and power.

     Yesterday before church we also had the opportunity to meet with Samantha, she has been investigating the Church for a long time and has been taught by so many missionaries. Yesterday we went in there and I was excited and I felt the Spirit strong, and with faith I invited her to be baptized and she accepted. SO she is going to be baptized on Dec. 18th. I am so happy for her and grateful for her decision that she has made to be baptized. Her Parents are actually going to be in town that day so that is why we are doing it on that day. It is truly a miracle in my life to be here and to gain a better understanding of how the Lords love is always followed with miracles. I also know that we must have faith in order for these great things to come about by fully putting our trust in the Lord and doing all that we can to fulfill our purpose.

     This has been a great week for us, my companion Elder Pickering is going home soon he is actually going home before this transfer is over, he is from a small town in Washington, called Brooklyn it actually isn't to far from Elma. He knows about Elma, it is actually in the same stake. I have a lot of Family in Elma so that is why I mention this. Anyways... He has less than 3 weeks left, and when he goes home I am probably just going to jump around to different companionship's within the zone and work with them and have them come with me to the people that I need to visit. So yeah that will be interesting.

     I want to take some time to talk about my Little Bro, Andrew, I want you to know that I am so proud of you and that I miss you I cant believe how big you are getting, you are going to be 8 years old on Dec. 1st. That means that you are going to be baptized. I know that what you are doing is the right thing to do and the Lord is going to bless you in your life by making this decision to be baptized. I am sorry that I cant be there so remember to take a lot of pictures. I love you buddy. 

     That is about all that I have time for today sorry if this is short, but I am doing my e-mail at the library today so I have a shorter time to e-mail today. I love each of you and the Lord loves each of you as well he is aware of everything that you do and His plan is for each of you to be happy in this life. If you can all more fully turn your hearts to Him, even more than you are now. I promise that you will each feel an increase of love that he has for you. 

 

Love your Friend, Bro., Son, Grandson, Etc. ELDER JD DOYLE  

Weekly Update 11-22-10

     This week has been such a marvelous week for my companion and I. I know that the Lord is truly blessing us with many miraculous opportunities to serve and to teach others the message of the restored gospel. My heart right now ifs full with the Spirit of the Lord and my desires are fully centered on bringing this true gospel message to the world. The Lord has blessed me so much by giving me this sacred opportunity in my life to be here at this time to teach those whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world, to accept His gospel message at this exact time in existence. I have such a strong belief that of which I have received through such powerful conviction of the Spirit that He loves each of His children so much and He has sent missionaries around the world to bring His gospel to all those who are willing to accept His perfect plan for each of us. The Lords eternal plan is perfect and it makes so much sense as we utilize the things that He has blessed us with to receive that spiritual knowledge. Those things which are, The Book of Mormon, The Bible (the entire scriptures in general), the ability to pray and communicate with our loving Heavenly Father, having churches around us wherever we may be, Etc.... I could go on, but these are a few of the main things that have truly blessed my life in such a meaningful way which I am going to strive faithfully throughout my life to live by them forever. My faith and knowledge of things which are spiritual now benefited my life eternally and will influence my life forever and ever. 

     This week we were able to find some great new investigators which is really good, considering that I am surrounded by tons of people who don't speak English. I feel strongly that the Lord has a great trust in me as my thoughts, actions, and desires are completely centered on fulfilling the true and important purpose that he has called me here to fulfill. I look forward to teach these precious brothers and sisters of mine, whom the Lord has blessed us with to teach. There is so much joy found within, and it brings me an everlasting eternal happiness which I know will never leave me as I watch each of them make miraculous changes in there lives and grow through the Spirits powerful witnesses that will carry into each of their hearts that they will receive the undeniable witness and knowledge that the Spirit will witness unto them with such great conviction and power of His true Restored Gospel that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. There is no greater feeling than this that I have ever felt in my life. 

     This past week I finally had the opportunity to meet Gem, she is so great she wasn't able to get baptized this week, we still have a whole lot to teach her before she can be baptized. So we moved her baptism date to this coming Saturday the 28th. That will be such a special day for her to feel the love of God in her life, and to have the knowledge that she has truly received a remission of her sins through Jesus Christ. This week we were able to Invite one of our new investigators, Eric to prepare himself to be baptized on December 5th. He is excited and heart willing to do what it takes to prepare himself for that date. His Girlfriend is a member of the Church, and it seems that she has set such a strong example for him, and it is his desire to follow. He also mentioned that he hopefully one day can serve a mission like us. He is a 23 year old college student, so you never know he just might serve a mission one day, we can only hope for the best, but it ultimately comes down to the will of the Lord. This week we are going to invite Samantha to be baptized, I am sure that she is going to accept the date and she is so ready to be baptized. 

     I can tell that I am back in Queens again, because this weekend we had 7 set appointments bail on us. That is just a part of missionary work I guess, but at the same time we had a great week so I am happy and I feel the Spirit strongly in my life and that is what matters most. In the "hood" I just didn't have as many appointments bail on me, but when I was in Astoria, Queens I had the same thing as I do here. Maybe it's because people have jobs here and have a busy life. I am not sure, but I am grateful to be here either way. 

     This week is Thanksgiving, this is the last Thanksgiving that I am going to miss on my mission. I am grateful for my family and for this great knowledge that I have of this gospel. I pray and hope that each of you can have a great Thanksgiving weekend, I love each of you so much. Thanks for all of your support and love that you have all shown me. I am out of time and I have to get going now. I love you all!

 

                         Elder JD Doyle 

Weekly Update 11-15-10

     I feel like I have stepped into a complete different country and into a complete different work in my new area, but I am loving it here in Flushing, Queens. I am surrounded by Asians, and I love them so much they are such neat people to serve. I am grateful to be here in this area. I feel that all of the ghetto people in ENY turned into Asian people, I think that was just my mind playing tricks on me because I was in the Hood for so long. There is nothing to worry about as I am here. I am totally good. I am actually above average when it comes to how tall I am, I feel tall for the first time in my life, ha ha ha. It's so true though. This area is so crowded with people I really do feel like I am in an Asian country, even the signs are in Chinese, and I have no idea what they say, it is funny.

     When I got here in the area, I had to get some things organized with my companion Elder Pickering. We had a lot to do before we get to work and see the miracles that lie ahead. I am grateful to be here and to have this time to serve with Elder Pickering, he is on his last 4 weeks on his mission he goes home before this transfer ends so we will have to see how it all works out when time gets closer. He has served in all of the areas I have served, I haven't served in Bermuda or Jamaica though, other than that we've served in the same areas and know the same people. He loved it in Bermuda, but I am not going to have that opportunity to go there, but I love it here in the city.

     Right now there are a few people that the missionaries have been teaching here before me. They actually already had a baptism lined up, her name is Gem, she is supposed to get baptized this coming Saturday, but I haven't even met her yet and we still have a lot to teach her. So I am not quite sure if it is all going to work out for this coming Saturday, but we'll see. There is someone else that the missionaries have been teaching her name is Samantha, I absolutely love Samantha so much she is so great, she is from Malaysia and her parents aren't very accepting to have her join the church. I feel that I have made such a spiritually powerful connection with Samantha, she is so great. We met with her 2 times this week and I feel strongly that she is going to be baptized soon.  She says that she believes in the Church, it is just her parents that are making it hard on her for joining the church. Her parents are coming to visit her in December so I look forward to meeting them, and I am hoping that we can baptize her when her parents come, so that they can experience that sacred moment with their wonderful daughter. 

     This week I had the special opportunity to go back to East New York with President Nelson to witness the baptism of "Star", she is someone that I talked to on the bus my first week with Elder Palmer about 6 months ago. We worked so hard with getting baptized, but she had a lot of things holding her back, Satan worked hard on her. I was so happy when I received the call that she was getting baptized. She called me and told me that I have to come to her baptism and that she wants me to speak. She told me yesterday that she misses me so much, and that I am like her son. She said that yesterday at church everyone was talking about how they are going to miss me over there in the East New York Branch. I will miss them too, but I am grateful for the time that I had to be there and share those great experiences with them for the past 7 months. 

     Here in Flushing we have to travel about 30 minutes on the bus to get to where the English people are found. We have such a huge area, because we are the only English companionship in our Zone besides one other area and that is a car area so we couldn't cover that, because we don't have a car. I love traveling on the bus and talking to people anyways, it is always so fun.  I know that there is a lot of great work and great experiences that lie ahead of me here in Flushing. I feel so much more comfortable here in this area than in my last, I don't have to always be looking around to make sure no one is going to come jump me, but seriously. Life is good for me right so much, my testimony is firm in the faith of Christ and following his teachings. I love this work and I know that there is nothing greater that I could be doing in my life. I know that everything is going to work out for me in my life. I love you all,now, I am safe here. It feels extremely less stressful here. 

     My heart is full of love and gratitude to my Father in Heaven for giving me this sacred experience in my life to be here. As I have been here I know that my personal testimony has strengthened  thanks for all the things that you've all done for me. I miss you all so much!

      

       LOVE, ELDER JD DOYLE

Weekly Update11-08-10

Wow, my heart is full with love as I reflect back on all of the many life changing experiences that I have had as I have served here in this area these past 7 months. I have experienced quite the change within my personal self and had the opportunity to see others make a change in there lives as well. The Spirit of the Lord has called me to another place, I have been called to be a Zone Leader in Flushing, Queens. I am grateful for this new responsibility that I have been given to assist in helping the District Leaders as well as the missionaries that are with in the Zone. There are a total of 9 zones in this mission with a total of 15 Zone Leaders and about 200 Missionaries. I am grateful to play the role as a Zone Leader, I know that I will do my best in fulfilling my missionary responsibilities and to love and serve the missionaries around me.

Flushing is Asian central in this mission. There is only one English Companionship in that whole Zone, only the Zone Leaders. I have been to Flushing before, it is a unique place in the world, all of the signs are in Chinese. When I went there before I felt like I was in an Asian country like China or something, because there were people everywhere and no one speaks English. They have only had one English baptism there in the past year, but I know that I am going to do all that I can to make that change. I am going to be in a ward that speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean. So yeah this is going to be quite a cool experience. I am definitely leaving the Hood, and I will be a tall person for once in my life, being surrounded by Asians, so that should be fun. I might even pick up some Chinese while I am out there.

This weekend was such a touching experience for me we were able to have the baptism for Zoe on Saturday evening. It was such a great experience and we were able to get a lot of others to attend the baptismal service. Gwen, Zoe's mother says that I am like one of her sons she is such a great lady who loves us so much, I just hope that they can remain strong in the church and that they can keep in touch with me. This Sunday was such a touching day for me. The Spirit strongly bore witness to me yesterday that my work is done here. As I reflect on the way the Branch was when I got here in this area 7 months ago, and how it is today, I see such a huge improvement. Us missionaries used to be the ones that blessed and passed the sacrament every week, and yesterday I had 2 of my recent converts bless and pass the Sacrament. I shared my testimony yesterday and as I looked out to the congregation I noticed that I knew every single person in there and I loved every single person in there. It was so touching to me. I am going to miss the People here so much, and I am sure that they are going to miss me too, last night everyone wanted me to come over for dinner, but I couldn't make it out to go see everyone. Today I am packing my bags up and preparing to move to Queens. I am also going to miss my District, and how close we have come together in Unity and love these past 6 weeks, I love the missionaries here. I have had a lot of success here in this area and I sincerely pray and hope that I can continue to have this great success here in NYC.

This week we were also able to invite Marlorie to be baptized, she is a young married women from Haiti. She has read a lot of the Book of Mormon as we've been teaching her. She is excited to be baptized we set her Baptism date for November 27th, she is going to work hard to prepare herself to be baptized on that date. We also have another baptism that should be happening this coming Thursday for Mark, but I am going to be in Flushing so I wont be able to attend his baptism, but I am going to miss them dearly. It feels great to leave the area like this.

I cant believe how fast time is flying by for me, I know that I have only but a little time left, and I am going to work as hard as I can and make the best of it these last 9 months. I miss all of you, but I am loving my time here, and I don't want it to come to an end. I know that I still have many great experiences that are awaiting me in this sacred work. That is about all that I have to say for now, and I am also running out of time. I love you all so much!

Elder JD Doyle

Weekly Update 11-01-10

     Wow, I cant believe that it is already November, it is so crazy the way time has been moving by. This week was such a very special week for me and for my whole entire family, I was able to talk to my little bro on the phone for a bit as well as to my family. Having been given permission from President Nelson to do so... I cant explain in words how much my heart has been filled with such a great joy and comfort knowing that my little Bro is in the service of our Lord. He is going to do so great out on his mission. My final words with Tyler on the phone were filled with so much power and love of God that I know that he has been called by a prophet of God to take His gospel message to the Haitians over there in the Orlando Florida Mission.

     I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Rudaz, he is one of the Assistants to the President he told me that I am going to love my next area, and that he knows that there is a lot of great work for me to do there. He told me that I am gone so yeah this is going to be my last week in this area. No more "hood" for me, but who knows I might be going to the other "hood" in Jamaica, Queens. He told me that I am not going out on the Island, and that I am going to be staying in the city, he says that I am a city Missionary and that I might not ever go out on the Island or he could have just been saying that you never know. We will find out hopefully by the end of this week. Elder Rudaz also had the opportunity to speak to Tyler and to tell him some things about the mission, his counsel to Tyler was to work hard and to love the people. It is so true that you have to love the people or else nothing is going to happen.

     This week us missionaries were asked to be in charge of the Haunted House for the Halloween Activity at the church, we set up the best haunted house ever, it was so good, it was fun as well. I love it when the presidency of our branch gives us certain responsibilities. I always like to fulfill them with excellence so show them that I am also here to serve them and the branch. We had so much fun doing it, it was a great success. Our voices were all gone at the end of the night from screaming at people in the haunted house.

     The bad thing about our voices being gone was that we were also asked to sing in church yesterday. We sand "We'll Bring The World His Truth" a primary song, it is such a powerful missionary song. We had people in the congregation that were deeply touched with their eyes filled with tears. Yesterday my companion and I were invited to the Nedd families home for an early dinner because we had to be inside by 5 o' clock because of Halloween, which Halloween is crazy here by the way. The Nedds went all out on this meal for us, it was a goodbye meal for me, they made me cards and wrote me letters and bought me a Cheesecake from the world famous, "Juniors." It was so nice of them doing that for me. I am definitely going to miss the people here in this area. I love them all so much. I have enjoyed my time here in this area, I had a lot of success and experienced a lot of change within myself as I have been here, I will never forget these great moments that I experienced here in this area.

     Today is Elder Palmers B-day, I love my boy Elder Palmer, Bro. Amato is taking us all out to Dinner for his B-day. We are going to a Greek restaraunt, I've never had much experience with the Greek foods, but I know it will be good. He does so much for us missionaries, I hope that one day I can pay him back for all that he has done for us, but he always says that we have already done it, by talking to him about the gospel and sharing our testimonies and great spirits with him. Whenever he mentions the missionaries in church our to others he always gets emotional. He is such a great guy and I look up to him in a lot of ways.

     Well This week was a big week for us and for my family back at home. I want you all to know that there is truly no greater work that we can do than this and by serving others. We don't have to be full time missionaries to serve the Lord, we can always look for opportunities to serve those around us and to reach out to them in love by serving them and sharing our testimonies with them. Sometimes we don't always know or understand how much we can help others just by little kind acts of service. I love you all so much and I am grateful for each of your support with me serving my mission here!

 

ELDER JD DOYLE