December 30, 2012

Malipayon nga bago nga tuig! 

Hey family happy new year!

Haha thanks so much for all your emails, those were the best. This last week was sweet! We were really worried with Clysyl Joy and getting her prepared for her interview, but we got to teach her and she passed her interview on sunday! She'll be baptized on saturday!! We're so excited for her. She was SUPER shy at first, but now she's starting to open up its really cool. Joshua hasn't been to church these last 2 weeks, so we're gonna have to push back his date, we'll see! He really needs to develop faith unto repentance before he'll be ready to make a covenant with God. Yeah our district will have 3 baptisms this week, we're super stoked. Sunday it was so much fun to travel out to the other wards and interview the baptismal candidates, they're all super ready to be baptized! It was a great time. We're still super focused on finding, this last week we only found 5 new investigators but i think it's because we got laxxed because of the Holidays.. this week our goal is 12! Its really true when you focus on finding all of your other key indicators shoot up. Elder Malit and I are still having a blast, he's so funny. I feel like he's american. Did i tell you guys he's a mission presidents son? So yeah whenever we're out working i hide behind a bush or run by the side of a house because i tell him his dad has me on radar and has snipers on me incase i do anything stupid as his trainer. Hahaha. But nah he's a great elder, really blessed to be his companion. I've really been learning alot lately about how Heavenly Father prepares the way for us, for everything. It's so interesting! I re read my patriarchal blessing this week as well, and i really feel like i learned a lot through that. Patriarchal blessings are so sweet, they're really the prepared way for us as long as we stay faithful. I definitely reccommend going back and reading the conference from october again.. all those talks the prophets gave really can have a great effect on our lives if we live those words. I read as well in 2nd nephi chapter 11 vs 4 i think.. about how all things God gives typify of the Savior. I'm really gonna try to study that more out to understand it, but everything relates to the Atonement. Without the Atonement our lives here would be in vain. Perro si Jesucristo mismo, naghalad sya sang iya kaugalingon agud makabalik kita sa aton Amay sa Langit. Jesus Christ offered himself so that we would be able to return to our Heavenly Father. And I know He lives today! I love you all and pray for you. Keep it real. Be safe on new years.

Elder Doane

December 30, 2012

 Dear Santa Rita Ward,

Hello there good ol' Santa Rita Ward! Wow i miss you all! Being on a mission has been the greatest time of my life. At first it seems a little scary, you're not sure where you're going, not sure what language you'll be speaking, all that jazz. But once you get out there, and get going, you begin to realize that being on a mission is way more of a privilege than it is a sacrifice. You just gotta take that step of faith, and trust that the Lord has prepared the way for you. I stand out like king kong swimming in a kiddy pool here, its so funny! But the Philippines is amazing. I truly have grown to love these people. And the language is coming along good as well! That's another thing I had to struggle with at first, but through putting my trust in Him I've seen the miracles come.

I just wanted to write specifically to those who are considering going on a mission! Stop considering, and just decide now that you will go. I promise you that through serving the Lord for those 2 years or 18 months will have such a great effect on your life and your posterity that you won't be able to even comprehend it, as i don't. For the greatest preparation, read the Book of Mormon everyday! Study it, learn it, live it, love it. Develop a relationship with Heavenly Father through constant prayer, and i promise you when the time comes to serve you will be ready! The Book of Mormon is the foundation of our testimonies, and combined with prayer is the most simple and powerful way to become built upon the rock of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. I encourage you with all my heart to begin preparing today to serve the Lord! Become worthy to lose yourself in the service of the Lord for this short period of your life! Like they say, it's the best 2 years. :) I love you all so much, and know that this is the Restored Gospel of the Savior Jesus Christ. As members of this restored church we must live the Gospel, we must become walking and breathing examples of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May the work of God go forth!

Much love,

Elder Doane

PS- The food here is great too.

December 23, 2012

Malipayon nga Paskuwa!! 

Hey fambam!

Merry Christmas! This last week was great, we have really been focusing on finding. This last week we found 11 new investigators, and the week before we found 10! It's really been a miracle, and we are really focusing on finding the rich and noble like it talks about in D&C 58. It's been sweet. Elder Malit's tight, me and him laugh all the time joking around with each other its so fun. Yeah haven't gotten those packages yet, but it's all good they'll get here one day. But today i actually got a small package from the Erekson family! It was SO awesome! It had pictures of their fam, candy, and a sweet card. Ah it made me so happy. ANd a sweet purple tie! They must know thats my favorite color :' ) The Garbison family also sent me a package! It was so awesome! THey sent some really really good chocolates and a picture of their family. Its so nice to know that families from the ward are still thinkin about me way out here in the Phillies! Yeah fam for tomorrowskyping maybe do what the ward family did when they called colton, write down some questions you have for me so you won't waste time thinking about them while we're skypin! Cuz we only got 30 minutes, and when it hits 30 minutes i don't wanna just hang up on you so maybe prepare some questions or anything you want to know! I should too haha. Yeah tonight we got a bunch of dinner appts, Pinoys really know how to eat when it comes Christmas time. We ate at our ward christmas party last week, oh boy, lets just say i was full. Tomorrow we also have a couple of appointments, we're excited for that. We're still out workin on Christmas eve and day! President says this is the best time to bring the Gospel to families because the Spirit of Christ is so abundunt around, i couldn't agree more. Not gonna lie though kinda weird it being the first Christmas away from the fam haha. But no worries at all, I got some work to do here in the Philippines :) Clysol Joy's date will actually be January 5th, and we're way excited for her! We also started teaching our Ward mission leaders son Joshua, and he is wayyy humble. His heart is so soft, and he really believes everything we teach him. He said he wants to know that he's ready for baptism, and his date is Jan 19th! We really gotta work hard to keep these investigators progressing, and i know we can do it with Heavenly Fathers help. Finding families is really the greatest, because then youre not only changing one persons life but you see how the Gospel blesses their whole family. I feel like theres so much to say right now i just can't put it into words haha, im learning so much each and every day, i'm so grateful.

This week i kinda speeded up in my scripture study, i'm currently in 2nd nephi 2. There were so many things that I loved! Especially in verse 14, when it talks about there are things to act and things to be acted upon. This is such an interesting and true verse. Of course, us as natural people are shy, sometimes scared, tempted, a little bit nervous, etc. But we must be ones to act, and overcome this natural man. If we just stay complacent each day, and don't seek to become better, we will fall, because the world is constantly getting worse, the adversary is constantly tugging down on us, so if we don't do something everyday to repent and become better we are suffering! In verse 26 it talks about the law of punishment already being affixed, and unless we act, it will have full claim on us. We must come unto Christ! We have to repent, read the Book of Mormon, pray, serve, magnify our calling, perform missionary work, so many things we can do to come unto Christ and escape the grasp of the law of punishment! We must be ones to act. I invite you all to re read Elder Robert C. Gay's talk this last conference, it really explains well about what we must do to accept the Atonement in our lives. I love you all so much, and i cant wait to talk to you tomorrow! Send my love to the rest of the family and friends, and may this Christmas be the best one yet :)

Elder Doane

December 16, 2012

 I got to baptize Brother Jem!!!

December 16, 2012

Hey family!

After I sent you guys emails i almost forgot to send one to recount for the week! Haha sorry. We just got done bowling and im actually tired! I haven't really been exercising that much cuz there's not much room in our new apt., but sometimes we go jog. I feel like im gaining weight! Haha but everyone tells me im getting skinnier. This last week was a miracle in a nutshell. FIrst with the baptism of Brother Jem! I can't really type words to explain how I feel, but all i can say is that I'm so happy for him, and he has entered into the gate to returning with his Father in Heaven! He's really chosen and noble, and is a great part in building up the kingdom of God upon the earth. We also found a family this week, the Espada family, they're awesome! We'll be teaching them more this next week, hopefully we can extend a date to them to be baptized. We also have Clysol Joy, who's been an investigator for a while now, she's 11 years old, super shy! But we're really trying to befriend her, so she'll open up and stuff with us. She'll be baptized on Dec 29! Happy new year! We're very excited for her, and hopefully we can get her mom to listen as well and accept the Gospel. Her dad is a less active member too. Yeah we went bowling today and our zone leader elder Sio taught me how to spin the ball, its so sweeet! Im trying to get really good at it that way i can come back and show you all up. Haha just kidding, but bowlings a lot of fun. Yeah I think next week we'll be skyping, if that works for you all? Elder Malit is going to be skyping his family so thats what i'll do too i guess. Can you make a skype? Can you make me a skype too? I'm not really sure how its going to work, maybe you can talk to brother larson and he can figure something out? But we're going to go to the market tuesday and go to a computer shop that has computers, if you can make me a skype that i can log on to so i wont see any of my friends on my old one, then you guys make a skype too. You can probably just use the one on my laptop that i left? I don't know haha, but see what you can do and let me know next week. Hmmm trying to think if im forgetting anything.. Oh yes tell sister erekson i said hello! and Im SO thankful for all her letters shes sending! Oh my goodness its so good to hear from her and about how Klays doin. Sounds like the qfl are really tearin it up out there, i respect that. Haha. I'm so grateful for all my friends, aw it makes me so happy to see them all out in the service of the Lord. Sounds like the familys doing good. Glad Demi's back and runnin, what are your guys plans for christmas? I haven't gotten the packages yet, maybe tomorrow or next week? The work is going great, i'm getting really comfortable with talking to anyone we see, because that's the way we find the ones who will accept us, is if we talk to EVERYONE! Haha its fun too, especially if you get super rejected, sometimes we laugh when that happens, but its also sad because they're denying the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. From scripture study! I was thinking about the story of Lehi and their family, and about how Laman and Lemuel always complain! How Nephi has his mind so set on the Glory of God that he's willing to do anything for him. Jerusalem represents the world, the worldly things. Laman and lemuel keep looking back wishing they were back with their worldly things like cell phones, facebook, partying and all that stuff. But Nephi has his eyes to the Glory of God, which is exactly what i gotta do right now on my mission. This is the one time in my life that i can be fully consecrated to the Lord, for these 2 years. And now its only a year an a half. Crazy huh. Slowly but surely i can feel myself to get more lost and lost in the work, its crazy, and I love it. :) I love you all so much! I pray for you all the time. Please, read the Book of Mormon and pray everyday to your Father in Heaven.

Elder Doane

December 9, 2012

Hey fam!

Hey happy birthday Davis!! Sorry i missed it last week but it was just crazy busy here. This last week was crazy busy! We had a typhoon pass through, like no damage or anything though, we moved houses, and had some pretty great experiences! Elder Malit is doing awesome, he's a quick learner and really a great missionary. We are really seeing blessings from being exactly obedient. This week the most amazing thing that happened was Brother Jem. He's been an investigator for quite a while now but has just never had time to be taught, but these last 2 weeks we've really made it a priority for him to be taught. So we've been spending a lot of time teaching with him, and oh my goodness. He is so converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it blows my mind. He has shared with us so many amazing experiences that he's had in his life with the Gospel, and his relationship with his Father in Heaven is so strong! On Sunday he got interviewed for baptism and passed. And before his interview, we had a review with him about the baptismal interview questions and he answered them like he was pouring out his heart in testimony, i was blown away by the Spirit. We had a closing prayer, and he offered it. It had to be the most sincere prayer i've heard in my life, as he was crying and so was I. I've never seen him cry before either. Brother Jem will be baptized this Sunday!!! AAHHH!!! I'm sooooo happy for him! He just keeps telling us how he's been awaiting this day and now its finally close. He is going to be such a contributor to building up God's kingdom. And on sunday after his interview, he walked out and asked if I would baptize him. Tears came up into my eyes, and i said I would be honored to! This will be the first time i have the opportunity to baptize someone, to be an instrument in the Lords hands in his child making a covenant with Him I can't express the feelings in my heart right now, but my heart sure is full. We'll take pictures and I'll be sure to send them.

From this weeks reading i really loved in 1st Nephi 10:18 and vs 7. Vs 18 talks about the way being prepared for us, as long as we are repentant and come unto Christ. That's really an interesting thought. Because the Garden was prepared for Adam, the way was prepared for Nephi to keep the commandments, the way was prepared for Moses to cross the Red Sea, and the way was even prepared for the Savior by John the Baptist in vs 7. So if we are faithful to our Lord, by EXERCISING our faith in Him through our actions, the way will be prepared for us. How beautiful that promise is! Just be faithful to him, repenting every day and we will have the way prepared for us! Our garments can become white like the generations that Nephi saw in chapter 12:11. I love this Gospel so much! The Book of Mormon is the foundation of our testimonies, each day that we don't spend time in it our testimonies are suffering. I love you all so much family and can't wait to talk to you on Christmas!

Elder Doane

December 9, 2012

Yeah.. this is when i slipped in this river we were walking by.. I almost fell into this huge lake thing! It was so scary haha. But all was well! The Lord sure watched over me.

December 2, 2012

Hello family!

It was so great to hear from you all, haha Drake cracked me up again! Yeah dad i got your dear elder it was so sweet to get one from you thanks so much! I really love getting updates from home and whats going on and stuff. Everythings going great here in the mission, sorry i have like 10 minutes, i had a bunch of other things i had to take care of during our computer time. Sorry i couldn't send individual emails i wanted to but didn't have time! Everythings great here though, Elder Malit and I are working as hard as we can. This last week was a pretty hard week, like 70 percent of all our appts got punted and we just had to go out opening our mouth to everyone! We actually had some great results from it though, we found a new family we'll be able to teach next week and gave lots of pamphlets to people. Dad you'll probably be getting a braille Book of Mormon in the mail soon, when you get it if you could send it here to me that'd be great. It's kind of complicated, but we have a blind investigator and the mission didn't have braille Book of Mormons so I had to order one. Anyways thatd be awesome. Im so excited to get the Christmas packages!! Tell Grandma thanks so much too, i'm so excited for them! I'm really starting to love this area, so much. Our ward is awesome. Im stoked for this christmas party we got coming up on the 21st, i guess theres like TONS of food so yeah that'll be sweet. We're transferring houses this week as well. There are like a thousand things running through my mind right now sorry this email is so choppy! Haha, but anyways everything is going great I love the mission so much! Im so happy! Our area is gigantic, and we have a few areas that haven't been visited by missionaries in a long time so Elder Malit and I started to last week, and we found 2 more investigators that we'll be visiting next week. THat'll be great! We also began teaching another investigator Brother Jem, he's been an investigator for a long time but hasn't been able to be taught because he's so busy. But we're hoping to extend December 15th or 22nd as his date! He's a great man and has a great desire to follow Christ. From scripture reading this week i especially loved in chapter 15 verse 27, Lehi didn't see that the water was the filthiness because his mind was so swallowed up in other things. How great is that. If we can keep our mind focused on righteousness and the tree of life, we won't even have time to look left or right into the dephts of sin. I love that scripture, and i'm so happy we're reading as a family. I love you all so much! Gotta go.

Love 

Elder Doane

November 25, 2012

Bagong companion ko!

Hey family!

This one is going to be pretty short sorry! But i wanted to send you all those individual emails! Everythings going great here! Elder T got transferred to Alehes, southern Bacolod. Right now I'm training Elder Malit, he's an amazing Elder and really seems like he's been on his mission for a while rather than a few weeks! Hes from the Philippines as well. He's really a great Elder. He's tiny too, go figure haha. I got put as DL this last week too, its good for me because now i have more expectations so it makes me need to be a better missionary to help others come unto Christ. I've really been trying to just lose myself in the work, and its crazy how fast the time is flying. This last week we really had some amazing things happen here. We found the Belantre family, they're amazing. truly amazing. At first brother did not want to let us in, but then we got to talking to his daughter Annie Rose, and now they let us in whenever we come by. Annie Rose is blind, and she's actually the winner of Philippines Got Talent 2010, isn't that crazy? SHe's a singer. We got to hear her sing last time and it blew me away, she has such a talent. She his so humble too, we started teaching them about the Gospel and she is so receptive, Brother was really hesitant at first, but last time we really tried to focus on asking him questions and listen. He really opened up, and said he's been searching for something these last 20 years and he doesn't really know what it is he's searching for, but he feels something is missing. I know he's going to find that missing piece once he prays to know if the Book of Mormon is true. I really love their family. We also found Dennis, mom i told you about him in the email i sent you, but he's amazing as well. He had a stroke and his right side is paralyzed. We've been teaching him and hes been keeping his commitments and we really had faith that he could make it to church, despite what other members said about him not being able to attend because of his disability. so sunday at church, i was asked to give a talk, and right when i got up there came dennis rolling in on his wheel chair with his caretaker. The Lord really opens up our eyes and blesses us with miracles if we exercise faith in him. Family, from our scripture study this week i loved in chapter 8 of 1nephi, vs 14-15, and as many as heeded their words of the spacious building, fell away. It shows how important it is to hold on to the rod, and never let go. Press forward despite your surroundings, have your eye on the love of God, who is Christ. I love you all so much, gotta go.

 Elder Doane

November 18, 2012

Pamiliya ko:)

Hey fam bam!

Hello! Thank you so much for all the emails, hahaha drake still has me cracking up on the other side of the world. If he dresses like a turkey to winter formal i'll bring him back mcdonalds from the phillies. So good to hear you're all doing well! Everything is going really well here, we're really trying to work hard, even if it's like a million degrees outside! I've pretty much gotten used to the weather though, i don't really feel the humidity much anymore. Yeah we're supposed to have transfers tomorrow! And we still haven't found out where we're going to i guess next week you'll all know where im at and what im doing. I'm thinking Elder T will move and ill stay here, but i guess we'll see what the Lord has in store for us. We had lots of teachings this week, but it was pretty disappointing when no one showed up to church. We were so excited Saturday night because we had so many committed to come, but only one ended up coming. It was still a blessing to see her there, her names Clysol Joy, she's been an investigator for quite a while now. This week was really cool because we started teaching Mylene, the girlfriend of a returned missionary Joel. She's great! She speaks Cebuano though, so sometimes its pretty rough to understand her! But Elder T can speak cebuano so no sweat. She really is interested in the gospel, and it was amazing last lesson we helped her to recognize the Holy Ghost witnessing to her about the Book of Mormon, ahh it was so powerful to see people notice the presence of the Holy Ghost. Marvins baptism got pushed back again! haha its really sad but we really need to make sure he's fully repentant before he makes a covenant with God. We also found 2 more investigators this week, so we're doing well with having more and more people to teach the Gospel. The greatest Miracle this week was Brother Vincent! He is on fire! He came to church again for the 4th time in a row, and is officially returned to  the church. He is so awesome, he works with us tuesday and thursdays as well, he has such a strong desire to follow Christ! Also next week he'll be getting an interview with bishop to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. Im tearing up just typing this, because he has been the greatest miracle thats happened to me here. Seeing the Atonement change his heart, and now hes back on the path to return to his Father in Heaven. I will try to get a picture with him this week.

So family! Im seriously so happy we started the Book of Mormon this week, im stoked to read together. THis week i reviewed 1st nephi 1 and 2. Some verses i loved in chapter 1: vs 1- the importance of family! Isn't this sweet! In the first verse of the Book of Mormon, we learn the importance of raising kids in the Gospel, and the role of fathers in the family. To teach kids correct principles and set a good example for the family. I love it! vs 12- If we want to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord, we need to read the scriptures! Exactly like Lehi did, he read, and was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. I bear testimony of the power the scriptures have, espeically of the Book of Mormon. vs 20- the Lords tender mercies to those he has chosen, BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH. This verse tells us that we can become chosen. If we increase our faith through action we can become these chosen ones to recieve the tender mercies of the Lord day by day, how cool is that? Also in chapter 2 comparing verse 15 & 4, look at all Lehi gave up to follow the commandments. And its all for the building up of the kingdom of God. I bear witness this is His church!we need to do all we can to help build it up, that's our calling as members of his church! I know Heavenly Father loves us. Christ is our living Savior and Redeemer. I love you all and pray for you every night and day.

Elder Doane

November 18, 2012

The christmas tree is at marvins house! Outside thats me elder t and marvin and his nephew! ANd the basketball was when we were going to pick up marvin to have a lesson, and he wouldn't come unless i made a three pointer. Looks good huh? I'll leave it up to you guys to guess if it went in or not ;) haha