May 26, 2013

Hey family,

Yeah dad I got the packages thanks so much! I loved the ties, and I"m still munchin on all that food. Mac and cheese was the greatest meal i've had since i've been here! It was so good to skype all of you as well! Seeing you all was just the best. Drake really had me laughing. Way cool school's out, I'm sure the kids will have a good time! Also that's way good for Dave! BYU Idaho will be a blast. Nope, Elder Iloa and I are still together. He's my favorite companion by far, he is so funny, and he is teaching me a lot on how to just relax and not worry about stuff, he's the best!

The work is great! We are trying SO hard to find more investigators, right now we have about 9 or 10 pretty stable investigators that we're teaching, but we really need to find more to invite more to the waters of baptism. We have 1 potential family we are going to try to teach this week, so we're very excited! Brother Anjo's baptism was a success! I'm trying not to cry while i type this, but i love that man so much. I don't want to choose favorites from the people we teach, but that was the first baptism that I've had on my mission when I've been there from the first lesson until the time  he was baptized. He's so amazing, he was SO prepared by Heavenly Father to recieve this Gospel, I can't even explain the miracle it was. His testimony of the Book of Mormon is fire, so strong and pure. And when he bore his testimony at his baptism, he said, "I'm so happy to have recieved this Gospel. And I promise that  I will share it." How amazing? It's just like Lehi, when he tasted the fruit of the tree of life, he wanted to share it. That's exactly what Anjo said! I was talking to him after, just me and him in the church foyer, and I asked him if he had a desire to serve a mission. He paused.. thought for a second.. and said, Yeah, i think i do want to serve a mission. I just have such a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us so much, He's preparing people to recieve this Gospel, and we won't know they're being prepared unless we talk to them. I'm also really trying to find more out about the Book of Mormon, how to use it more effectively. I've just been losing myself in Preach My Gospel, completely. My studies have been so amazing, feeling the Spirit so strong and recieving so much from the Holy Ghost! I found out this last week we can teach the whole message of the Restoration from the first chapter of the Book of Mormon, the entire thing just from Nephi's record about his father. How amazing! This Book is so true. I love it. I love you family! Until next week, hopefully I'll have many more miracle stories to share with you! Thank you for all your support and love.

Love you all,

Elder Doane

May 12, 2013

  

My new comp is Elder Howell! I'm training him, still the ZL too of Cadiz zone. The week went well, the work is great. I'm happy! I don't know what ill do about skyping you, that's weird that President said that because we can skype today! I'll try sometime tomorrow or maybe Wednesday 
though.. we'll see! 
If not then next 
week. I love you 
all so much! 

April 28, 2013

Hey family!

Last week was just full of miracles, I don't even know where to begin and i don't have too much time left! Well, first of all it was so good to hear from you all, sounds like the family is doing great. Demi's fast? What's her best time in the 100? I bet I could burn her. :) Sounds like Dave is still staying busy with all his work and stuff, hopefully he's having fun. Wow that's awesome mom on your calling! The primary kids will love you. I remember when you were our teacher in sunday school, you were the best! And you always brought candy! Wow way excited to get a birthday package too! I don't think i ever got the one the ridds sent, but it's all good, maybe someone else was blessed with what they sent. ;)

This last week we had 8 investigators at church, the Panagiton family's baptism is THIS SATURDAY! There hasn't been a baptism here in Caduhaan for a while, so this is good! Fillin' up the font again! I'm way excited for them, they're a great family who are extremely humble. Also we met another new investigator this last week, Brother Anjo, he's a cousin of an RM here, a chemistry teacher and physics teacher. When we met him, he was way prepared by the Lord. He said he beleived all that we were telling him, he felt the SPirit, and he beleives the Book of Mormon is true! I testify of the power of praying to know the truth, just like what happened to Joseph Smith. We also had another miracle happen with the Yanson family. Their place is SO far away, and they haven't came to church since December. But we exercised our faith, kept going to them, and made them this little 'church jar' where they could save money every day in preperation for Sunday. When we came back to follow up on saturday they had the money ready to go for Sunday! They really filled the church jar up! I was in tears, and felt the SPirit so strong testify to me that by faith miracles happen. We could have given up on them, but we took that extra step, and did something as simple as a church jar and they came to church on Sunday for the first time in months. We keep praying for them and their progression. Yeah last saturday i think we walked 10 miles, it was nuts! It was the best day we've had though in the transfer. Elder Pineda goes home next week, crazy huh? But he's still doing great! I'll probably be left here in Caduhaan. Sorry this email is all over the place, but I just want to leave my testimony with you.

I bear you all my witness that the Book of Mormon is true. That if we exercise our agency righteously, choosing eternal life over death and captivity, God will bless us. That if we exercise our faith, miracles can happen. When others around us our struggling, whether it be our loved ones, our investigators, our friends.. it's easy to think that our Father in Heaven is testing their faith. But maybe we should take some responsibility and honor our baptismal covenants, but realizing that Heavenly Father is testing YOUR faith, to see what you will do to help His child draw near to Him. That's what I've learned this week, and I know it's true. I love you all!

Elder Doane

April 21, 2013

My dear family,

Good to hear from you all and stuff, I'm so excited to get that picture from you! If you could send it through the email too I will print it out and get a frame or something, but im so excited! Sounds like Demi's doing well in track, we just gotta get her in the weight room now! I don't need anything else im doing just fine. 

The work is great! And it's hot! It's funny here because it's not just the sun beatin down on you but theres water in the air that sticks to your skin, that's what true missionary work is all about. Haha. Caduhaan is doing well, we have a baptism on may 4th and may 11th, and hopefully on may 18th as well. On may 4th the Panagiton family will be baptized! They're a great family, they don't have much, but they have a love for their Lord and that's what matters. Brother, Sister, their daughter Rodelyn, and their son Marjon will all be baptized! It's so great, first family baptism! We also had a mission President's training on friday, goodness it was amazing, President Lopez is just the best. We really dug deep into Lesson 1- The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it was great! He really showed us what it means to be a Preach My Gospel scholar. He also asked for a volunteer to stand up and show how to introduce Joseph Smith's story to a family of investigators, and I don't know why i raised my hand but I did. I stood up, and the Spirit just led me. It was all in Ilonggo, because President wants to hear how well we are speaking. As I was testifying to all those Elders and Sisters, and reciting the words of Joseph Smith, it was like we were actually there seeing the first vision. It was so powerful. I testified that our Father in Heaven has not changed since day 1, and because He loves His children He answered Joseph Smith's prayer, and the same thing can happen to them if they will pray with real intent to find the truth. President then stood up with tears in his eyes, and said thank you Elder Doane, I've never heard it done like that, from the introduction, to the recitation, it was all just so powerful. It really strengthened my testimony that if we feel a prompting, to just follow it. Yeah we may not know if it's just our heads having a brain wave, or if it really is inspiration from on High, but the only way for us to find out is to follow it. Then after we follow that feeling, we will know that it was from God, through the Holy Spirit of Promise. I've also learned a lot about agency while being here in the mission, that if we want something, we gotta go get it. It literally all depends on us, if we want something done, what are we going to do to accomplish that thing? The Lord is just teaching me every day, and I know He's just preparing me for something bigger in the future. I love you family, may we lose ourselves in the scriptures, for they will tell unto us all things that we should do. I pray for you night and day.

Elder Doane

April 7, 2013

Hey family,

This last week flew by. The work is going great though! We had zone leaders council last week and gave a zone training that went well, President has given us his vision for this mission which is to baptize every week, become preach my gospel scholars, and be exactly obedient. Wooh! I love it, President Lopez is truly called of God. We are truly adapting to this vision, because we have about 6 investigators with a baptismal date now, starting on may 4th and then on. I know with all my heart it's because of the Lord's love for His children here in Caduhaan, that's why He's allowing the work to progress so well! It's really been great.

Oh yeah you remember that recording tape thing you guys sent me? Haha i found it this last week, and realized that tape you sent me has 2 sides! Hahaha I was laughing so hard, you all are awesome. Drake just gets me laughing so hard. But yeah i started a tape again so i can send one to you all! Sorry i totally just forgot about that thing. But yeah! For a birthday package? I would just say that picture of you all at the mesa temple! If it's not too hot haha, i wanna put a picture up on my desk. And then.. maybe some crunchy peanut butter and kraft mac & cheese! Haha, just anything throw it in there. Oh if you could send all my blue/gray/purple ties as well. That's something im doin here in the mission, getting all blue gray or purple ties! Haha. Well fam the work is great, i'll keep doing my best and the Lord will make up for the rest. I just want to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I prayed in my last area, hard, about the Book of Mormon again, wanting to recieve an answer if it was true. After that, I went on exchanges with one of the assistants to the president, and he showed me and taught me about how the Book of Mormon can affect an area, and that's what we have applied here in Caduhaan. They say you can know the truthfulness of something by the blessings that come from it, and I have definitely seen the blessings come from it in this area. The picture i sent, with the man wearing the green shirt, is the branch presidents son, Ugene. He is a returned missionary, and he has been less active for years. The first time we visited them, we shared the Book of Mormon and invited him to begin reading in 1 Nephi again, and try to apply it to his life. As of now he's in 1 Nephi chapter 10, and has came to church these last 2 sundays. I bear my witness that this Book is true, it is alive here in Caduhaan, and we all need to make it alive in our lives. 

Elder Doane

March 31, 2013

Hey family!

Welp we got pulled out of Victorias last week! Got moved to Caduha-an, we're white washing here too! Crazy huh? Haha. But Elder Pineda and I are still companions and the Zone Leaders here in Cadiz zone, Victorias is actually in the same zone as ours. Last week was great though, it's so much fun white washing because you have no idea what you're doing, I've really learned a lot about agency lately, and learning to be one who acts and is not acted upon. We've found some pretty solid investigators, and the branch is great. Even though there's less than 100 active members, they are all so willing to work and help the missionary efforts. Especially our branch President! President Lapid, he's so humble and great. The stake president is in our branch as well, so we're excited about that.

We're really focusing on the Book of Mormon here in Caduha-an, trying to get the entire branch reading and studying in the Book. We had an amazing experience with one brother. We asked President what members of the branch we needed to focus on for re activation, and he told us to help his son, who is a returned missionary who has been less active for years. The first time we visited over there, we shared the Book of Mormon with him, and gave him a reading chart too to check off as he goes. The second time we came back, he was almost done with 1 nephi 1, and he shared with us all the things he learned. He also said he was so happy to be reading in the Book of Mormon again, because he had been studying in other books than the Book of Mormon the last couple of years, and he also came to church for the first time in a long time on sunday. I have such a testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon. I know its true, because i've seen its effect on the lives of others, and especially mine. That Book changed my life! I'm so happy youre reading as a family too, keep up the awesome work fam :) I'll keep working hard, and eating rice. I love you all so much.

Elder Doane

March 24, 2013

Wow hey fam sorry don't got too much time left! But hey this last week was great, Genalyn's baptism was amazing and was way spiritual! Her mom attended too, even though she's way strong catholic, but we have hopes for her as well! I've been focusing a lot of the work on the Book of Mormon, and i testify of it's power! We're really trying to strengthen our investigators testimonies in the Book of Mormon to give them that foundation to increase faith in Christ and properly live the Gospel. I testify that this Gospel is true! Because I've seen the power of it in my life and others! I'm so happy! The mission is great! I'll keep workin and workin, the time is just flying. Transffers are this week, i'll probably be staying here! Anyways, love you all!

Elder Doane