Weekly Update 01-10-11

     Hey everyone I am so grateful for this time that I have to give a quick Update on the work here in NYC, it has been a week with a lot of mixed feelings, but most importantly another week of learning and growing as a missionary and as an individual. I truly feel like I have been so deeply blessed for having this experience to be here on a mission. My heart is extremely full of gratitude to our Loving Father in Heaven whom is always watchful of us and knows what is best for each of us.

     This week we went to Anitas home and I ate some chicken feet and duck feet, it wasnt too bad, but the fact that I was eating a foot, just wasnt very appealing to me. I luckily was with Elder Durr on exchanges when we went over there because he finished my scraps when she wasnt looking, I was thankful for that. It is just a complete different culture from where we come from. Our meeting with Anita went so great and she seemed so excited and ready for her baptism on this coming Sunday the 16th. Last night as I was doing follow up with my companion Anita called and said that she doesnt think that she is going to be ready to be baptized on the 16th. I asked her what it is that makes her feel that she is not ready. She explained that when she becomes a member of the church she wants to be a devoted member of the church. I then told her right then to get on her knees and ask God if the church is true, and then to call us back. My comp and I both dropped our knees to the floor and poured out our hearts to the Lord that she will know what to do. Right when we said Amen she called and said that she feels good about the church, but she still doesnt think that she is going to be ready this Sunday, she said that she loves the church and that she is going to continue to come to church every Sunday. Right now my faith and trust is in the Lord in her behalf, I know that the Lord has such a great love for her, and I am so blessed to have this opportunity to work with such a special person who loves the Lord so much and who is trying so hard to do what is right.

     This week I was on Exchanges with Elder Gregory, this is his first transfer out here on his mission, he came with me in my teaching pool, and we had an important meeting with Eduardo and Oscar they are two brothers. Their Uncle is a member of the church and he brought them to church and wants us to teach them. We taught them a powerful message and then invited them to be baptized, they accepted to be baptized on the 23rd of this month. We are so excited for them, and hope that the Lord will help us in this great work. One thing that the Lord can never do is take away ones agency. I know that each of these people that we have been blessed with to teach have the opportunity to make their own choices to accept the Gospel and to live the principals taught in it and apply it to their lives, or to reject the sacred message that we have to share with the world.

     Our teaching pool is continuing to grow so much and I am excited about that. Bob Tutt is a man that came to church yesterday for the first time and he loved it so much, we are meeting with him tonight and planning on inviting him to be baptized as well. I have seen a lot of great things happen in these past few weeks, and I know that the Lord is being watchful of His children and are preparing them to listen to our message that we have to change that will change the out come of their eternal salvation if they allow us to. I am now out of time and have to go, I am sorry that my last few updates have been week, but I am doing my best. I love you all!

 

Elder JD Doyle