Weekly Update 12-28-10

     I am sure that you are all wondering why I didn't e-mail you all yesterday. Well, I am not sure if it was in the news or anything, but New York City got hit with a massive snow storm. The funny part about it all is that when I talked to my Dad on the 25th (Christmas) I was telling him how we haven't had any snow at all, and then on the next day BAM! We got smacked with a giant snow storm. It was crazy we were at church and then they cancelled Sunday school and all of us missionaries didn't know what to do. So yeah... On sun day night we were all invited to go out and eat at one of the members houses, but the only way to get there would have been from a bus, but all of the buses were full. So we couldn't get on the bus. I must say that it is a good thing that we couldn't get on the bus, because we probably wouldn't have made it home that night. So I know that Lord was just watching out for his servants.

     Due to the large amounts of snow, yesterday was just insane. We grabbed some shovels and went out and pushed people out when they got stuck. We were pushing out Ambulances and police officers and the whole deal. Yesterday was a day that I never even dreamt or thought of happening. The thing that I don't fully understand is how the streets never got snow plowed. There was no public transportation running when it came to buses because they all got stuck. So yeah there was no people going anywhere so instead the crazy New Yorkers decided to take it upon themselves and drive on there own. So because of that we had a big opportunity to serve the people here. There were seriously so many people that offered us so much money yesterday, but we just refused to take it and gave them a pass along card and told them to call and that would make up for it. I am happy about that great experience that we had yesterday. We seriously were out on the streets helping people from 12 to 9 PM with a break in between to get some food. So yeah it has been a fun last few days, and this week I didn't really have a P-day, but I was able to do the things that the Lord has called me to do here in NYC and that is to love and serve the people here.

     I am so very grateful that I was able to talk to my family over the phone on Christmas day, I am just bummed out a bit that I wasn't able to talk to my best friend, My little bro Tyler. I know that he is going to be such a great missionary, I know that his heart is in the right place and that he is willing to do whatever it is that comes with this sacred work. I love you bro! As for my family I am so grateful to hear about all of the many wonderful changes and accomplishments that they have made as I have been out here on my mission. It is such a blessing, and I know that the Lord is watching over each of you. This gospel is what blesses our lives and blesses our families. I have seen so many instances here on my mission when someone opens there heart towards the Lord and the Spirit bears witness of His love for them individually. I know that there are so many things that we are all capable of fulfilling and that we need His help always in our lives to guide us and protect us in all things. He loves us and is aware of all things that we may be facing in our lives. He wants to guide us, but we must do all that we can.

     As I have been here in my mission I have had time to reflect on all of the many things that have lead me to be where I am today, and how it all came to pass. One thing that I do know is that we are in a constant battle and war against Satan and his followers, whom seek to destroy us and our agency. As for me I know that my testimony has been my shield and I am heart willing to fight through whatever it may be that I find myself in. The Lord is my guide and I choose to follow him, and his ways in whatsoever way he leads me. I am grateful for the guidance that I have received in my life and I know that I always stand in a constant need for his guidance and I can never rely on myself, but must always rely on Him.

     Thank you all for all that you have done for me in my life. I know that time has been flying by so very quickly, but as for now I also choose to put my full trust in the Lord continually and to work even harder than I ever have before for this last bit that I have to serve my father as a full time missionary, a time that I have to dedicate all of my time, energy and thoughts towards Him, the one who has sent me here to declare His true message to the world. How great it is to have this wonderful opportunity and how great it is to have each of you in my life. I love you all. Thanks again!

 

     Elder JD Doyle

no newsletter on 12/27

elder doyle never sent a newsletter update yesterday. the family did talk to him on Saturday though and he sounded great. thank you for all your support for JD on his mission.

sincerely,
ashley (the big sister)

Weekly Update 12-20-10

     This week has been an interesting one since I didn't really have a companion. I just jumped around and pulled missionaries around to come teach my investigators with me. This week I worked a lot with Elder Egbert, he is from Orem, UT. It seems that every time we taught together we had a wonderful spiritually powerful lesson with each person we taught. We had a lot of great experiences this past week. I love this Elder a lot, he even knows a person that I know back at home someone that I am extremely close to. It was crazy when we were able to put it all together. I know that pretty much everything that I said makes no sense I guess I am just thinking in my head and typing at the same time. As I mention that it isn't always the best thing to thing with your head, but in this work it is most important to think with your heart and to allow the Spirit to guide us in all things that we do and say. I love the guidance and influence of the Spirit that I have felt this past week. I know that we were truly Spiritually guided in many ways this week. As I was walking with Elder Egbert he said to me, "I have a question for you?" He then said, "how is it that in everything you say and do is exactly what the Spirit would want you to do and say?" It was a great question that caused me to ponder. I mentioned in reply to his question, that it is upon the desires of our hearts and to take that desire and to use it as faith, I then explained that I visualize faith as an action word, and that it is always important to act on our faith. I know that the Spirit is real, and that it is sent to us based upon our faith to guide and direct us in all things, and in all places. I know this to be real. A lot of these experiences that I have experienced this week I hold to be very sacred to me and I know that it is best that i speak not of them at this time, as the spirit has influenced me to do so.

     I am going to meet my new companion tomorrow, his name is Elder Swain, I actually already know him. He is great I have been asked to train him as a Zone Leader. So I have to show him how to fulfill the Zone Leader responsibilities. I look forward to working with him. I have a great feeling about this next transfer and about my companionship that I am going to have. There have been a lot of changes in the Zone so I am going to be meeting a lot of other missionaries and am going to have the opportunity to get to know them better. I am happy that I get to stay here in Flushing we have a lot of great things that are in store for us. We are actually going over to a less actives home for Christmas eve. It is someone that we met this week and we were sent there by the Spirit at the exact time that we needed to show up and now this person came to church and looks forward to remaining active through out his life. On Christmas morning we have a Zone Breakfast, with Elder and Sister Baum. We also have a few baptisms on Christmas morning in the zone in which I will be attending. Afterwards I am going to one of my investigators homes for Christmas Day and then that evening we will be going to a members home. SO for now our Christmas is all squared away for what we are going to be doing. I am excited and it is going to be a great experience to spend a lot of my Christmas with one of our investigators. She is such a neat lady and I am hoping that she will be getting baptized soon. Which I think we will invite her to be baptized on Christmas and then help her to prepare to be baptized on a specific date.

     Well I am running low on time and I have to wrap it up, but I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I will be calling my Family on Christmas Day. I love you all! Thanks for everything.

          

                     Elder JD Doyle

Weekly Update 12-13-10

     Thank you all so much for all of the B-day gifts and cards that you all have sent me. I am so grateful to have each of you in my life. This week was a great week for us and at the same time it was a busy week for us. I am running low on time, I had a lot of e-mails that I had to send out today so I am sorry for the short update, but let me just get right in and talk to you about this past week. 

     This week we have had a great meeting with Anita she is progressing so very well and she is so anxious to learn more about the gospel. She has now came to church the past 2 weeks and has made some great friends in the ward. I think that this week we are going to invite her to be baptized. She enjoyed all 3 hours of church and is learning so much. She also invited me to come over on Christmas so I will probably be over at her house on Christmas morning. This week we also had another miracle. This miracles name is Noelle, she has been a member for a long time, but hasnt been to church for years. She has such a strong testimony of the church, but she was offended a few years back and completely stopped coming. When we knocked on her door she invited us in and I was on exchanges with Elder Durr, he is another missionary in our zone. We had a great meeting with her and before we left she asked for me to give her a blessing. When I gave her this blessing, I felt the Spirit so strongly. When the blessing was finished she looked up at me with her eyes filled with tears of joy and said "Thank You", she said that some things that I blessed her with were some things that she definitely needed to hear. She said that because of it that she will be at church on Sunday. Sure enough Sunday came around and she was at church and she stayed all 3 hours of church, she loved church and she is excited to say that she is back. 

     This transfer is coming to an end I still have one week left, but my companion is going home on Wednesday so I am not really going to have a companion, but I am going to be working with other missionaries so that I will never be alone. I will be working in the Spanish program and in the Chinese program as well. I am also going to be visiting those who we are working with in our pool. I have already learned a lot of Chinese, I know how to order food in Chinese and how to sing happy birthday in Chinese and a few other things. It is funny. 

     Lately I have been focusing a lot on member work and getting members involved in assisting us in this sacred work. They have been such a great help and I am happy for them, I have began to see the missionary Spirit come upon a few of them and they are so excited to teach with us and to love those whom we are teaching. I know that this is a work that we have all been called to do is to serve His children. I know that there is great power found within. I look forward to doing this work for the rest of my life and to help out the missionaries when I return home by going teaching with them and by working with them and by introducing others to the missionaries. 

     I know that the Lords work will be done and and that his will will always be fulfilled. I am now out of time and I have to go, but I love each of you so much sorry about this weeks update, I am currently in an Internet Cafe and there are loud people around playing computer games and swearing like crazy! I love you all

 

                           Elder JD Doyle  

Weekly Update 12-06-10

     It has been such a great week for us here in Flushing, the highlight of this past week was that we had a baptism which is my first baptism here in Flushing. Gem was baptized on Tuesday and she was confirmed yesterday in church. She is such a wonderful daughter of God, she is from the Philippines. She seemed to have been so prepared to be baptised at this time in her life. Her baptism went so well there were a lot of people that showed up to her baptism and there was a lot of food there and most of all the Spirit of the Lord was right there with her. It was such an extraordinary baptismal service where the Spirit was distinctively strong on that day.  We went to a members house last night for dinner and she came and joined at the dinner. I had cheddar cheese flavored ice cream for the first time, it is a Filipino style ice cream, it was actually very good. I know that my taste buds have changed since I have been here in NYC, I have eaten so many different kinds of food from so many different cultures. The food is great here in NYC.

 

     Right now our teaching pool is doing fairly well we have some good things going here. There is one of our investigators, her name is Anita, she showed up to church yesterday unexpectedly, it was a miracle to see her there, she absolutely loved church so much so we are hoping and praying that she will be able to accept a baptismal date soon here. We moved Eric's Baptismal date to January 2nd, we are continually working with him and hoping for the best that he will be able to come around and more fully prepare himself for that day. So yeah that is about it for the main people that we are currently working with. Although I did reach a goal that I set before I came into this area, and that is that we would be able to get a baptism before Elder Pickering went home, and we did it. I wasn't so sure that it was going to happen, but I had faith that it would happen. I just really wanted him to go home on a good note and finish with a baptism, he has only had about 5 baptisms throughout his mission and it feels good to see his excitement when we had that baptism.

 

     I really don't have much time for today so I need to get wrapping up here. I cant believe that I am going to be 23 years old tomorrow, I am turning into an old man. Today I found time to reflect back on my life and I have been so blessed to have this opportunity to come and serve a mission. I am grateful for the time that I still have left to be here and to serve with full  energy and purpose of heart. I know that there are many more miracles that lie ahead in this great work. I am so grateful to have each of you as a blessing in my life. I love you all so much. This is all that I have time for for today. Mindy I also want to with you a Happy B-Day as well which is going to be the day after mine on the 8th. Until next week I will be signing off that is all that I had time for today. Again, I love you all!

 

Elder JD Doyle