December 15, 2013

Hello Dearest family!

Thank you so much for your emails, it's comforting to know that the Lord is blessing you while i'm in His service. Demi's experience about her friends' siblings being baptized is a miracle! I'm sure that's something she will not forget for the rest of her life. I'm doing well don't need anything, i'll just withdraw some money to get some more pants done, and a few other small things but thanks so much for that extra money it helps a lot. I barely have anything else left in my suitcase, i don't know i guess it's just what happens when you go on the mission! Your stuff just kind of disappears. I'll probably just come home with a Book of Mormon in my hand and nothing else, haha! But i'm doing great, i'm sure i won't need another package up until the day i come back!

Family, last week was another miraculous experience laboring in the Lord's vineyard. There are so many things i could share with you but i'll be selective! Last week at our Mission Leadership Council i gave a training on Humility, which was such a great learning experience. I based it off of 1 Nephi 2:15, when Lehi dwells in a tent, and related it to us as missionaries leaving everything to dwell in a tent for 2 years or 18 months. Lots of us missionaries are bringing things to the mission field that don't need to be here, like family, friends, memories of the past, etc. But it was such a spiritually uplifting experience, and the missionaries said they were so inspired to more live the higher law of consecration. I encourage you family to read sometime D&C 31, and think about the blessings you have received and will yet receive for supporting me in the mission! I know the Lord will 'prepare a place for you' as my family! I showed them a picture of all of you at the temple, and bore my testimony that the Lord has kept care of all of you as i've tried my best to serve Him!

We were in our zone training on wednesday, wherein the zone leaders and sister training leaders give the trainings they received in MLC to their entire zone. It was such a great meeting, and the Spirit was so strong as they presented the trainings with love. Then, as the clock was approaching 12pm (the time the meeting needed to end), I was moved upon by the Spirit to leave. I could tell the way the meeting was going that it was not going to end by 12, so i didn't want to get up and cause a scene, but the Spirit was nagging at me to get up and leave. So I turned to Elder Sablan and said, "Elder, i feel like we need to go." Then he said let's go, and we got up and left. Walking away i wasn't sure why we left, and i was hoping we didn't disturb the meeting, because they were still in the process of training.

Then we went to go eat lunch, i knew why we left. A man came up and sat next to us and said "Hello elders!" We started talking to him asking how he knew us as elders, and told us he was a long time member, but he went less active this last year. He said no missionaries had visited or talked to him, and he missed the church a lot. Elder and I just testified to him that he's welcome in the church, and the Lord is just waiting on him to come back so he can receive the blessings of the Restored Gospel again. As we continually talked to him, he said, "Alright elders, it's my goal to get to the temple before i turn 60." We were so happy for him. We got his information, told him we would have the missionaries come by and visit him, and we went on our way. Elder Sablan then turned to me and said, "It was God that told you to leave that meeting, so that we could meet His son at that restaurant. I felt the Spirit so strong and it really let me know that we did the right thing.

Later that day, one missionary texted us and told us how rude it was to leave that meeting so early, and that we needed to apologize to them for disrupting the meeting in such a rude way. I was blown away by the text, and the adversary was using it as a tool to get me down the whole day, but we replied back to the missionaries and said that we were sorry if we made any disturbance, or disrupted the training in any way, but we would never apologize for following a prompting.

After we talked with the other missionaries and things they understood, and said it was so great that we followed that prompting to go and meet that man.

I really learned something from this experience family, never miss a prompting. Always follow it! Even if you're doubting whether it's just you, or if it's from God. I promise you, if it's something that is good, praiseworthy, or virtuous, it is from God! We need not worry what man may think, or what it may look like to other people, we only need to consider what the Lord wants. He will help us through the power of the Holy Ghost to follow these promptings and feel the Holy Spirit of Promise as we respond to the still small voice that prompts us to move. I know the Gift of the Holy Ghost is real family! It is such a gift that is essential for us to make it back to Heavenly Father's kingdom at the last days! And we need to follow His still small voice in order to be the Lords instrument in carrying about His work on earth! I know that 'through our repentance, and humility' (3 Nephi 4:33) we can do all things through the Lord's enabling power of His Atonement. I love you family! Always be agents to act and not objects to be acted upon!

Elder Doane