Dear Family,
Sorry I was not able to email this morning! WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD 17 MISSIONARIES COME IN FROM TACLOBAN MISSION and we got to make all the arrangements for sleeping, transfers, and had a FANTASTIC orientation meeting with them today! The Spirit they brought was so powerful, them having gone through what they went through, they all said they felt so loved here in our mission, and they will be here until further notice. I love them all so much! It was such a great opportunity to welcome them here..
Thank you so much for all your emails, they're just so wonderful and uplifting. I really have my testimony strengthened every week that Heavenly Father can take care of you all better than i can, so I leave that to Him and focus on His work and His glory here in Bacolod. I was so touched deeply to my heart when Demi shared that story about the less active beehive they visited, and her whole family returning, i cried. Demi, you're a special spirit, you really gotta keep sharing the gifts Heavenly Father has given you with everyone, and you will keep to see miracles like those! Mom thank you as well, i really appreciate all of the work you do on the blog. I'm trying to take pictures, but really the only pictures i have are of baptisms, i will try to if i can find some other opportunities! Have you been friends with President Lopez yet? He wants to be friends with all the parents on facebook, thats the way he contacts and keeps in touch with them. Marlo Lopez. Search him and friend him to keep updated with the mission and stuff.
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Family, last week was the most amazing week of my mission. If I were to tell you everything right now i would be on this computer for hours.. but i just want to share a short part. LAST WEEK ELDER PERALTA AND I SET SOME HIGH GOALS FOR OUR KEY INDICATORS, BECAUSE PRESIDENT TOLD ALL THE ZONE LEADERS "YOU NEED TO BE THE MOST FAITHFUL MSSIONAIRIES IN YOUR ZONES ELDERS!" AND ELDER PERALTA AND I WERE IN THE BACK THINKING, "THAT MEANS, WE NEED TO BE THE MOST FAITHFUL MISSIONAIRIES IN THE WHOLE MISSION." and Elder Peralta and I were in the back thinking, "That means, we need to be the most faithful missionaries in the whole mission." And last week, we really qualified ourselves. We set such high goals and kept each other accountable for these goals each day we went on exchanges, were training missionaries, and teaching and finding investigators. As the week was coming close to a close.. i felt the adversary trying his best to stop us. I literally felt him pulling me down with every bit of his power. On saturday during my personal study, i felt this sickness coming on, and after a few hours it got really bad. My energy was drained, i had pretty bad diarrhea, and my head was hurting me. I went to go lay down, thinking i wasn't going to be able to work that day! Meaning we probably couldn't reach our goals. But then the elders next door and my companion gave me a blessing, and i felt the most comforting feeling, that i could work. I really asked Heavenly Father for strength in my prayers, and headed out the door to hit the streets. As we were walking, teaching investigators, and attended our baptism, my body was just done for. It was like i had nothing left. But my desire to achieve our goals was too great to let my body stop me. Then coming sunday we were late to our dinner with the new missionaries at the mission home because we had to go to one more appointment. WE TEXTED PRESIDENT, "SORRY WE'LL BE LATE PRESIDENT, WE GOTTA REACH OUR GOALS!" He said it was no problem. Then, we did it. I HAD MY TESTIMONY CONFIRMED TO ME, THAT THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST LITERALLY ENABLES US TO DO MORE THAN WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN. There's no way that I could have gone out to work that day if it weren't for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I would have no hope to grasp on to, no reason to get up out of bed and work. But because He performed the Atonement, I had all the reason and more to get up, and get out the door.
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Family, last week was the most amazing week of my mission. If I were to tell you everything right now i would be on this computer for hours.. but i just want to share a short part. LAST WEEK ELDER PERALTA AND I SET SOME HIGH GOALS FOR OUR KEY INDICATORS, BECAUSE PRESIDENT TOLD ALL THE ZONE LEADERS "YOU NEED TO BE THE MOST FAITHFUL MSSIONAIRIES IN YOUR ZONES ELDERS!" AND ELDER PERALTA AND I WERE IN THE BACK THINKING, "THAT MEANS, WE NEED TO BE THE MOST FAITHFUL MISSIONAIRIES IN THE WHOLE MISSION." and Elder Peralta and I were in the back thinking, "That means, we need to be the most faithful missionaries in the whole mission." And last week, we really qualified ourselves. We set such high goals and kept each other accountable for these goals each day we went on exchanges, were training missionaries, and teaching and finding investigators. As the week was coming close to a close.. i felt the adversary trying his best to stop us. I literally felt him pulling me down with every bit of his power. On saturday during my personal study, i felt this sickness coming on, and after a few hours it got really bad. My energy was drained, i had pretty bad diarrhea, and my head was hurting me. I went to go lay down, thinking i wasn't going to be able to work that day! Meaning we probably couldn't reach our goals. But then the elders next door and my companion gave me a blessing, and i felt the most comforting feeling, that i could work. I really asked Heavenly Father for strength in my prayers, and headed out the door to hit the streets. As we were walking, teaching investigators, and attended our baptism, my body was just done for. It was like i had nothing left. But my desire to achieve our goals was too great to let my body stop me. Then coming sunday we were late to our dinner with the new missionaries at the mission home because we had to go to one more appointment. WE TEXTED PRESIDENT, "SORRY WE'LL BE LATE PRESIDENT, WE GOTTA REACH OUR GOALS!" He said it was no problem. Then, we did it. I HAD MY TESTIMONY CONFIRMED TO ME, THAT THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST LITERALLY ENABLES US TO DO MORE THAN WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN. There's no way that I could have gone out to work that day if it weren't for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I would have no hope to grasp on to, no reason to get up out of bed and work. But because He performed the Atonement, I had all the reason and more to get up, and get out the door.
I read a verse of scripture that day in my personal study right before i got sick, and it can be read in Mosiah 15: 5-8... 'the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the Father.' The Savior overcame His flesh, even unto death. Even when He was suffering in the garden, or on the cross, He did not take the easy way out and let Himself die. He said no, and His love for His Father drove Him to endure all of those pains, even until He himself commended His Spirit to the Father. How beautiful, no? I know the Atonement is real family. I have seen all these people we're teaching come closer to Christ, and as they do, I realize I am as well. I know the Book of Mormon is true. This is the only true church on the face of the earth, i mean there's no question. Thank you for raising me in the correct way, always pointing me to the Savior. I love you all so much.
Elder Doane
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