Weekly Update 6-2-2011

Well everyone, today is my P-Day because we went to the Mets game, I am out of time for e-mailing so they are kicking me out of the mission office. I will talk to you all on Monday, I love you all so much the Mets game was great the Mets beat the Pirates 9-8. We got tickets from a member so we had 24th Row seats it was fun. I love you all so much! OH and I caught a shirt, ha ha ha. That is just my luck. I wish I had more time. OH yeah I will talk to you more about it on Monday, but I am out of Jamaica I got a phone call from President Nelson and he wants me to do to Midwood, Brooklyn for my last area. I have served in all of the Haitian areas now so now my little bro can come and speak to all of the Haitian people that I've met on my mission. I look forward to going to Midwood, I know that I am going to love it there. I only have 12 weeks left, Holy cow! That is crazy, I just barely thought of that. Well I have to go I love you all.

Weekly Update 05-23-11

     My good friends and family, it is an honor for me each week to have this opportunity to share with you a portion of the miraculous life-changing experiences that are found in this marvelous work as I am here serving the Lord with all of my heart. Some of the experiences are some that I love to share, and others are very personal between the Lord and I, where one day I may share some of these experiences if the Lord permits me to do so at some point in life. It is my prayer that you all may be able to feel of the significance and the need that we all have to share the gospel with everyone. I know that I have been called to serve as full-time missionary for 2 years, but when I was called I know that I was called to serve forever. I will soon one day be released from the mantle of a full-time missionary, but I will serve forever. I may leave the field but not the missionary will not leave me.

     Today I am short on the time that I have to type up this e-mail to you all. The work here is moving forward, the Lord is watchful of His children as he is for each of you. It is amazing how our role as missionaries comes into play in others lives. I love to hear of the great work going on in Orlando with Elder Tyler Doyle, my best friend in the world, and the great work that is happening all around me.

     I am not sure if you all heard about the "end of the world" that was supposed to happen, but it was a big deal here in NYC. The "End of the World" was on May 21st, well I am still here alive and spreading the gospel into the lives of my good brothers and sisters here in NYC. There were people that have taken this false prophecy serious some have sold their houses and spent a lot of their money on advertising this false prophecy. It was great because on Saturday the 21st we got all of the missionaries in our zone to go out to Jamaica ave and set up a table and talk to everyone that passes by on the street, there are too many people that we didn't have time to talk to every one, but it was fun. I love this work and there is nothing greater than this. I have to go now, I love you all!

 

 

           Elder JD Doyle

Fwd: Weekly Update 05-16-11

     The miracles that are found in this work are incredible. We have been blessed through the hands of the Lord placing His prepared children on our path. This past week as we were going forth to visit a less active member, we saw these two young ladies sitting out on the stoop of a house. Whenever I am walking and I see people I will go talk to them to invite them to listen to our message. As my companion at the time was Elder Moore(we were on exchanges) we went and talk to these ladies. As we were talking to them I noticed that one of them was intently listening to what we were saying and very interested in the message we share. As we were talking to them the gal who seemed interested said that her mom was now home and she pulled up in her car and was about to walk into her house across the street. I was quick to run over there and talk to her about what we do as missionaries. I was able to get her to listen to us and allow us to come and teach her and her family. We went over to their house yesterday to meet with them. They are all excited to listen to more of the message that we share. I know that this gospel will bring a great change into the life of their family.

     We are still working with Shaneeza she has a baptism date set for the 29th of this month, this week it was her Birthday and she invited us over for dinner and we taught her about the Word of Wisdom, we haven't taught her that before and we knew that she drank coffee. This week she called us and was excited to tell us that she hasn't drank any coffee after she has been drinking it for her entire life since she was a little girl. It is great to see what power the Lord can give when one is willing and wanting to make a change. We are excited for that wonderful family to continue on the path of righteous living for the rest of their lives.

     I am grateful for this time that the Lord has blessed me with in my life to have this opportunity to come and serve His children. This is a time that I will treasure for the rest of my life, and reflect back on the experiences that I've had forever. I have had so many life changing experiences. I know that the Lord has taught me much in how to be a better person. I was able to learn a lot of patience here in the mission field. That was definitely something that I have struggled with throughout my life, but now seems to be one of my strengths. I really am just about out of time and I don't have much left to say for this week. I do love all of you and am grateful to have each of you be a part of my life. One more thing that I would like to mention is that I am the absolute worse writer ever when it comes to writing letters, I sincerely ask for each of your forgiveness with my lack of effort put into writing letters. Please forgive! I love you all and have a wonderful week.

Elder JD DOYLE

Weekly Update 5-09-11

My dear family and friends, it is my sincere prayer that you may all be able to feel the Lords love today as you read this update for this week. My desires for you all to feel this way is that you may feel a portion of the love that has filled my soul. I know that I have been called to declare His gospel message to the world, and I feel that I have felt the power that has been given by Him to me, power of which is not known among man(D&C 24:12). This power comes as we open our mouths not knowing beforehand the things that we shall say, but by putting our trust in Him to carry this message into the hearts of the Lords precious children. 

This past week I have had many opportunities to open my mouth and to declare the truth unto others of my brothers and sisters, now they may not all have accepted the things that I have shared, but I strongly believe that I have helped them come closer unto Christ. It is amazing, as I have been here on my mission I have taught and baptized people who have met with the missionaries or had encounters with members of the church in the past. Yet these people who have opened there mouths to speak to these people in the past have no idea the impact that they have made on these individuals who have now decided to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized into His true and living church. It is my invitation to you all to seek for missionary opportunities to share His gospel. It is my promise to you that you all may be able to feel this power of which is not known among man(D&C 24:12), but only by those who seek to declare his gospel with intentions to help them come unto Him. As I have opened my mouth to declare this truth to others I am not always aware of how many will act upon the words that I share with them. It is my hope with everyone that I talk to that they may be able to one day come to this understanding through the Spirit of God, that these things are true. 

About a month and a half ago, I invited a member to share the gospel with one of her friends and she did. I was able to hear her get up and bare her testimony that she acted upon the words that my companion and I shared with her, to share the gospel with her friend, which has now lead to her friend being baptized, it is incredible the way the Lord works. Who would have ever thought that that my companion and I inviting her to share the gospel with her friend would have lead to her friend being baptized in Brooklyn. That is a miracle in itself. This is a work of miracles and of blessings. Miracles are awaiting each of us as we choose to share the Lords gospel with our friends and helping them experience the joy that we all feel!

This past week we had another baptism, Melissa Dass was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. We also invited her wonderful Mother to prepare herself to be baptized on the 29th of this month. She has accepted the invitation and is going to prepare herself to be baptized on that very day. I am happy for her and her inner commitment to follow the Lords example, and to keep His commandments. I am so happy to be a missionary, coming on a mission has changed the course of the rest of my life and many windows of opportunity have been opened to me in which I will pursue and continue to declare the Lords Gospel for the rest of my life and hopefully even beyond the veil throughout the eternities. I love this work and I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder JD Doyle

Weekly Update 05-02-11

This past week has truly been a defining moment in my life. I am so grateful for my new companion Elder Yau. Elder Yau is from Hong Kong, he has been in the Chinese program for his entire mission, he now has 2 transfers left. He has been a leader in the Chinese program for the past while in the mission, and now he has been put in the English program for the first time. The work here is a lot different from what he is used to. I am learning a lot from him, he has taught me a lot about the importance of goal setting and fulfilling the goals that we set as a companionship and with our individual selves. I have developed a deeper understanding of the importance of setting goals and reaching our goals that we set. As I was getting ready this morning I was pondering the thought in my mind of how much better I would have done on my mission if I would have known these things that have now come to me with conviction from the Spirit. As that thought came to my mind the Spirit was quick to reveal to me that I am only ready to receive the spiritual knowledge of things that I am spiritually ready to receive. I was not spiritually ready to receive the knowledge that I now have received. I was able to learn a lot from this meaningful experience that I had. This knowledge that I now have I want to share with all of the missionaries in our Zone, and with everyone. I talked to President Nelson about it this morning in his office, and we both had a great talk about it and president wants me to talk about it tomorrow in ZLC (Zone Leader Counsel) with all of the Zone Leaders.

Last week I was asked to speak to all of the Leaders in the mission about "Fearlessing", as I prepared my talk that I was assigned to give I know that I received revelation in behalf of "Fearlessing." Fearlessing is what we call going up to people on the street, train, bus, in the store, or wherever we may be; opening our mouths to share the Lords Gospel message with others. As I spoke I know that I was moved upon by the Spirit my message was carried into the hearts of the Leaders in the mission. President Nelson now wants me to give that same talk to all of the missionaries. I will just have to wait and see how it all works out, but I am excited about the missionary work here.

This past week we had Bettina and Kevin confirmed in church. We also had a miracle this week, we went to the Dass families home and Melissa said that she wants to be baptized. So she is going to be baptized on this coming Saturday. We are working with a lot of great people.

I am excited to call home this coming Sunday to speak to my wonderful family.

I dont have much time left, so I have to get going, I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week.

 

     LOVE ELDER JD DOYLE 

Weekly Update 04-25-11

I don't have much time to e-mail this week so let me give you all a quick update. This past week has been a remarkable one, we had 2 baptisms. Bettina Audain and Kevin Dass they are both amazing. We are excited and Kevin's family is still learning so we are hoping for the best and having the opportunity to baptize the rest of the family.

Transfer calls came and I am going to be staying here in Jamaica, and my new companion is Elder Yau, he is from China. I don't really know him very well, but I will get to know him as we serve together for these next 6 weeks, I will officially be his companion tomorrow. I am excited about the great things that are in store for us in the future. 

We have a busy week ahead of us, we are going to be moving to a new place, because of the Sister Missionaries getting moved out of their place because of those creepy guys trying to get into their apartment. I am sad that I have to move because I love the place that I am living at right now, it is a house above the Senior Couples, and they are always taking good care of us. 

I wish I had more time to talk, but I just don't. I love you all and the Church is true.

Love Elder JD Doyle

Weekly Update 04-18-11

Hello to all of my wonderful family members and friends. Well another week has gone by and a lot more has happened in my life as a missionary. It is amazing how much can happen in one week. This week has brought much happiness into my life in which I know that I have been lifted higher than I was before. It is a continual process and I am being lifted higher and higher as each day goes by.

I will start with the crazy events that occurred this past week. This past week on Tuesday night I got a call from the sister missionaries in my zone asking for help. They said that there has been some guys that have been trying to get into their apartment for the prior 3 days before they called me. They called me after 2 of the sisters were at home and the other sisters were away, and the 2 guys got inside of their building and knocked at their apartment door. They were trying to open the door and get inside of their room, but they went and turned off all of the lights and hid inside one of the bedrooms. They were all so terrified, so my companion and I went over to their house and I was able to get in touch with President Nelson and he advised me stay there until the Police showed up and had me ask certain questions to the Police. The following morning I got a phone call from Elder Brownell, he is in charge of all the apartments in the mission. He is one of my good buddies, and a wonderful senior couple missionary. He said that we have to get the sisters out of their apartment today as directed from President Nelson. On that day we had a lot of great appointments scheduled and for some reason every single one called and canceled on us. So we took the day helping the sisters move into another apartment. It was comforting to know that they are safe now and that nothing is going to happen to them. Some guys here in NYC are just crazy.

Now it is time to share with you all the remarkable events that have occurred. Bettina is for sure going to be baptized on this coming Sunday, she is solid and is certain that she is going to be baptized. Now for Kevin and Melissa, Kevin is looking great, but his older sister Melissa is starting to question, but she tells us that she knows the Book of Mormon is true, she is just nervous to make this commitment. We are praying for her, but Kevin says that he is pretty sure that he is going to be baptized this coming Sunday, so we will just have to see how it all works out. Things change, so we cant be certain about anything. I know that the Lords will will be done. It will be a great opportunity to have those three be baptized on Easter Sunday.

This past week on Saturday we had a wonderful lesson with a lady, her name is Jamel, she is awesome. We invited her to be baptized on May 8th, on Mothers day. She accepted and she is going to prepare herself to be baptized on that day. We are also working with a lot of other people whom are near ready for baptism. We are hoping for the best, we constantly stand in need of the Lords help and guidance at all times.

This week is transfer calls, I am thinking that I am going to be the one staying and that Elder Hunter is going to be the one leaving, we will just have to wait and see, but there is only one other option to where they could send me to be a Zone Leader and there are a few options to where they could send Elder Hunter, so that is why we are thinking that he is going to be the one leaving and that I am going to be the one staying. I hope that I get to stay here and to continue working with these wonderful people. I am known to stay in areas for a long time so I hope that can carry on. I am sad that Elder Hunter and I have to split up soon, we have had so many great experiences that we have to share together throughout the rest of our lives. We worked hard and we helped a lot of people come closer to their Savior Jesus Christ. We both learned a lot from each other, and I know that we will continue to learn a lot from each other as we are currently planning on being roommates at college.

I love you all and I want you all to know and feel of the great power that one can feel when we share the gospel with others. Remember to seek for opportunities to share the gospel with those around you, and when the moment comes for you to open your mouth to share the gospel you will be filled with power that is great, "And I will give unto him strength such as is not known among men." Is what the Lord promises us in D&C 24:12 as we open our mouths to share the gospel. Power that is not known among men is truly something that I feel that I have experienced as I have diligently declared the restored gospel to the Lords precious children here in NYC. I love sharing the gospel and I know that it is some thing that I will do for the rest of my life because I know it is true, and I am planning on sharing the gospel throughout the eternities. I love you all, it is my prayer that you all may be watched over and guided throughout your life.

 

Love Elder JD Doyle