April 27, 2014

Dear Family,

What a wonderful week, it went by so fast as we were so busy busy busy teaching and finding! Thanks so much for all your emails. Drake, great job with the 3.85!!! That's so great buddy, hope you can send pictures of the awards program. Demi sounds busy too. Sure Davis is doing well and busy as BYUI! That's way great. I wonder if you will all think I'm skinny too, probably not.. my face is the only thing that has lost a lot of weight. I'm okay as of now, haven't gotten the package yet, but we will be going to Bacolod this thursday so we will probably grab it then. Elder Barangay and I were invited to the Mission Leadership Council this Thursday! A general authority will be attending as well, how exciting! It's such a blessing, all the other former assistants will be attending as well, I'm so excited to see Elder Peralta and all them.

Elder Barangay is so humble. He keeps expressing to me his desire to change, and become a greater missionary. It's such a blessing to me, because he's letting me share everything I've experienced and learned in the mission. while at the same time he's teaching me things he's learned. That's the wonderful thing about this Gospel, we can all learn new things and insights and share them one with another, before my mission I used to think that was lame, or those kinds of things were just 'stu' (remember mom?), but I have repented for those mistakes I made, and have been born again through the Atonement.

Sister Albesa, one of our recent converts here, is so strong in her faith in Jesus Christ. Of course in every ward or branch you will see problems, conflicts between members, members being offended, pride issues and all of the above, but Sister Albesa chooses to ignore all those things. Even though their family is persecuted every day in the small village they live in, she continues to study her Book of Mormon every single day, and to do all she can to make it to church just to partake the sacred emblems of the sacrament. She told us last week, "I tried my best to save up money throughout the whole week, but we just didn't have enough for our food. So I just went out all day saturday, searching for money so I could have fare to make it to church. I really need to partake of the sacrament." 

Sister Albesa is such a good example of keeping our baptismal covenants, always obeying His commandments and standing as a witness of God at all times and all places. Her sister in law who is supporting her child for college told Sister Albesa's daughter, "The moment you transfer religions I will stop supporting you for college, you can find your own way to pay." But Sister Albesa said to her daughter, "It's okay, if the Holy Ghost tells you that you need to join this church, you need to follow that prompting. Don't worry about your aunt.. your dad and I can find a way to support you for your college if the Lord wills it."

It reminds me of the scripture in Alma 36:3, where the Lord promises us that if we trust Him, we shall be lifted up at the last day above all our enemies, they shall lick the dust off of our feet.

May we always remember, we come to church, we read our scriptures, we pray every day, we pay our tithing, we serve our fellow neighbor, we preach the Gospel, we do everything in our power for one and only one purpose; to please our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We may be tempted to be offended, or to raise contention with our neighbors, but I am convinced that if we will always remember our covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father through the sacred ordinances of His Gospel, we will be able to withstand these mighty winds of the adversary in these last days. "Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him" (Moroni 10:32), it's all we need to do! I know this is the key to truly obtaining peace in this life and eternal life in the life to come. Just like Sister Albesa, let's forget about everything else negative, and just focus on the true Doctrine of Christ, a doctrine of hope, happiness, and love! Just like Alma described it in Mosiah 18:21. I love you family! I'm so excited to apply all these things when we come together again in 1 month! 

Elder Doane

April 20, 2014

Hello dearest family!

Thank you so much for all your emails! It's so uplifting and edifying to know you're all doing so well and happy. I know the Lord is blessing our family as we strive to be obedient to His commandments. What a blessing it is to be in the service of the Lord for this short time of my life.

Cauayan is doing so well, we are so happy! This will be my last area. Elder Barangay and I are doing all we can to find, teach, and baptize! Elder Barangay is such a great missionary, I really see such a great and marvelous potential in Him, and the Lord is helping me to help him to become what the Lord wants Him to become. I really testify that if we see people for no who they are now, but who they can become through the Gospel, we will develop such a greater love for them and a greater desire to help them come unto Christ. He's really helping me to stay happy and laugh while we're out working. Sometimes the work can get so stressing or my mind can be running a million miles an hour, but Elder Barangay does such a good job of keeping me smiling and joyful! It's such a blessing.

Last week Brother John Zeilnier Decena was baptizd, a referral of the Lauzon Family who was baptized in March! What a miracle, no? The Lauzon Family are doing so well, every day they all read their Book of Mormons and every night they have family prayer.. aahh I'm just so happy! Our recent converts here in Cauayan just love the Book of Mormon with their whole hearts, and that's how we should all be! No matter how much persecution they all receive day by day it doesn't phase them because of their strong testimony rooted in the Book of Mormon.

I'm so grateful for this Easter Season that we are able to celebrate the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. How wonderful! Preach My Gospel talks about Hope, one of the Christlike Attributes, and how we can manifest hope through optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. Our Lord and Savior is the perfect example of this. 

If we look in Mosiah 14, when Abinidi is quoting Isaiah prophesying about the Savior, he says, "He is despised, and rejected of men... surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows... he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.. and All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned everyone his own way... He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth."

No matter how hard, how painful, or how stressed the Savior was, He never opened His mouth, but He kept His composure. No matter how heavy the cross was that He was called to bare, He kept a smile on His face as He looked for opportunities to go about doing good! He did all He did because He was driven by the hope that He would please His Father in Heaven and bring all of His children back to Him if they would repent and come unto Him. Should we not do the same?

Every day we will face problems, stress, and pain, the question is, how will we react? May we be like the Savior, and keep our composure, with a bright smile on our faces! The day will come when we will be like Him, resurrected and glorified beings, wherein we will rest from all of our worries and troubles. Let's follow Christs example and take up our cross with joy! I know this will make us more happy, and help us to become more like Him. I love you all family! Keep up the great work and we'll see each other soon enough!

Elder Doane

PS- pictures.. before and after picture of our work, it rained and flooded the town that day! John Zeilnier's baptism.

April 13, 2104

Dear Family,

What a week! Elder Perez was transferred last week, he’s now the new assistant of President Lopez, I’m so happy for him, he’s such a dedicated and powerful servant of the Lord. We were getting really close too together as a companionship, so the transfer was destined. My new companion is Elder Barangay, he’s so awesome! He’s such a humble missionary, willing to learn so much. I’ve known him for a while in the mission and worked with him before, so we have no problem working together. He’s actually a year older than me, but he goes home next year. We’ve had a great first few days together, and I know we’re going to have a great companionship learning a lot of things from the Lord.

General Conference! We watch it here a week late because we’re on the other side of the world, but wow was it so amazing! We watched it in our clerk’s office at our chapel, because all the members watched it in Tagalog and we wouldn’t be able to understand well, but it was definitely the greatest conference I’ve had as a full time missionary.

So many impressions! But my favorite highlight had to be Sister Linda S. Reeves, about avoiding pornography, she was so bold and loving in delivering her message, and I was so inspired with many thoughts and impressions from the Spirit. I thought, what can be the ‘pornography’ in my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ that distracts me from fulfilling my purpose? Or for all of us as members of the church even? It’s not always the typical pornography that is poisoning the minds of so many in our day, but it can even be the small things like our own slothfulness, it can be our jobs, our hobbies, our friends, bad habits, etc. There are so many things that can blind us of our real purpose in this life, to ‘prepare to meet God’ and ‘have joy’! We need to identify these things in our lives, and follow Sister Reeve’s advice and make ‘filters’ on all these things in order to protect ourselves, and our families!

I testify to the words Sister Reeves shared, that the best filter that we can put on all of these poisonous distractions in our time is a burning testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This will blot out all of our desire to do evil, and replace it with a desire to follow God’s commandments and keep our sacred covenants we have made with Him. The question is, how do we gain this burning testimony of the great and eternal sacrifice? Like what Sister Reeves said, “It doesn’t matter if the dishes aren’t washed yet, or if some laundry hasn’t got done, or if the kids are already in their pajamas getting ready for bed… we NEED daily family prayer, scripture study, and weekly family home evening!” How simple! The only hard thing here is keeping consistency, but we as disciples and especially as parents need to be the first ones to act and not be acted upon, and call our families together to participate in these simple yet powerful family necessities! This will create a greater spirit of love within the home, where in the Spirit of the Lord will abide and create a strong filter against all distractions including pornography.

I truly do testify of these things! I’ve learned so as I’ve applied them here to myself on the mission, I feel like I’m so close to my Father in Heaven as I seek to follow the small and simple things such as prayer and scripture study. I’m so excited to be able to share My Vision with you all family when I get back, the Lord has been so merciful in revealing such things to me! I’m so excited and full of hope for the future.

I know time is so short! But we just need to keep pressing forward, keeping our covenants close to our hearts so that we may glorify our Father’s name in Heaven when we receive those special blessings He has in store for us. I can’t wait to see you soon family! Let’s keep on keepin’ on!

Elder Doane

April 6, 2014

Dearest Family,

Thank you for your emails, I love it when Demi sends pictures! She's so grown up now, it's so moving to see! I just really testify that the Lord will take care of our families and loved ones as we are in His service (D&C 31).

Last week was so humbling, the Lord has been so merciful to Elder Perez and I. Repentance is really one of the greatest gifts we have access to through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I testify that repentance is a happy process, wherein we become bigger, better, and stronger. We worked our very hardest last week, while trying to balance our work with serving our branch president as well, it was so miraculous the key indicators that the Lord gave us last week. I had never before sat and worked on MLS, the church clerk's system, but last week I had to encode tithing, make membership records, record expenses, and so much more! The Spirit really guided us as we did all those things, our branch did not have a clerk for 2 weeks so we had to step in place for our branch president, it was such a wonderful opportunity to serve.

Sister Thea Albesa was baptized on saturday! She is so strong. She was a part member, her mother and little brother both being recent converts. In their area there is so much persecution to members of the church, and Sister Thea really gave into that persecution before, and she would hide from us, and never was interested to be taught the Gospel. But as we continually prayed, and fasted for Sister Thea, one night after our Family Home Evening at their home, she said something whispered to her, and said, "Matuod ina nga simbahan", meaning, that church is true. Ever since that night, she never missed a day of reading her Book of Mormon, and never missed a sunday coming to church, even if their family is poor, and they have to try so hard to find money to make it to church, they never miss. This is just a testimony that if we open our hearts, the Lord will really testify to us through the power of the Holy Ghost of pure truths of His Gospel.This witness is the foundation of an investigator's conversion!

I've really been studying "Visions" from the scriptures lately.. and what the importance of a Vision is. In our mission here, you all know Our Vision of Exact Obedience, Preach My Gospel Scholar, and Weekly Baptism. This Vision has changed my life, given me direction, and helped me to fulfill my purpose as a missionary.

I am praying and searching for My Vision for my life and family in the future. I know this Vision will come according to my faith and obedience to the Lord's commandments. Why? "When there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:8) These visions to not need to be something like Josephs Smiths experience in the sacred grove, or Lehi's while he was still in Jerusalem, but in a sense, it gives the same light, direction, and vision into our lives. I am studying 1 Nephi and searching for what Lehi's visions truly meant, and how they blessed his family, and I encourage you to do the same family! If you have no vision yet for what the Lord seeks for you and your family, I encourage you to seek and find out what the Lord's vision for you is! I will continue to study, pray, and seek diligently so that I can receive My Vision for my life, and I know the Lord will help me. 

There is one part that will serve as the foundation of My Vision of which the Spirit has told me, and it's seen in 1 Nephi 2:20, as my family and I obey, He will lead us to a land of promise, even a land of promise holier than the holiest of temples, even a home wherein the Lord Jesus Christ is our foundation. I know we can achieve these Visions if we purify our hearts and seek His will with diligence!

I'm so excited to see you in 7 weeks family! Let's keep obeying the commandments of the Lord as we prepare ourselves to stand before Him at the last day! I love you all so much!!!

Elder Doane

March 30, 2014

Dear Family,

Thank you all so much for your wonderful emails. Drake just keeps me cracking up! So glad to hear you're all doing so well. I pray that the Spirit will guide me at this time as to what things I'll share with you.

I remember the night when I was 14 years old, and I went into your room (mom&dad) and picked up Grandpa Doane's Book of Mormon, and just opened it up. At this time I had never really been reading, never really knew much about the Gospel, just the basics, and I needed some guidance and direction in my life. As I was lead to Alma 36, I read Alma's account as he spoke to his son about the burden of his many sins which he felt, he described it as being 'racked with torment' for the many sins that harrowed up in his mind. These scriptures touched my heart like nothing I had ever before experienced. As I continued to read, and I reached verses 18-21, and I began to cry, because I really wanted to feel this same way that Alma felt, not remembering any of his sins. That night was the time my life changed, and I committed myself to draw nearer to my Savior Jesus Christ. The road was not easy, and still isn't, but I know that it was God who pricked my heart that night to go into your room and pick up that book.

Why am I sharing this? I know family that the Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is the most powerful tool in conversion. If the Book of Mormon becomes the foundation of our lives, wherein we seek for wisdom, advice, answers, etc., the Savior Jesus Christ literally becomes the foundation of our lives. Joseph Smith said that "a man could get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than any other book", and I testify of that. The Savior tells us in Helaman 5:12 to build upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, so that in the last days we will be able withstand the mighty winds of the adversary. The Book of Mormon is that rock! If we commit ourselves to sacrifice time, to understand and live the principles within that sacred book, we will begin to understand in greater depth the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and through which we will gain a greater desire to obey the commandments of our loving Heavenly Father. I have came in contact with so many less actives who have turned their back on the church, and promise they will never come back. They say, "Elder! I'm not coming back to church! So I don't know why you're even coming back here!" We just tell them, "Brother/Sister, we're not here to get you back to church, we're here to invite you and help you to come unto Christ, so would it be okay if we just read in the Book of Mormon for 5 minutes?" Then as we continue to visit, and leave commitments based on the Book of Mormon, coming back to church is not even a question, but it becomes their desire to come back. 

Elder Doane is known for his cartoon drawings, but in letters he says Elder Perez is an amazing artist (I think this one may be his, or a collaberation)!  Notice Elder Perez and Elder Doane depicted under the N and G in the word "EVENING"!  What a great email and a great drawing!  I'm so thankful for missionairies across the world and what they sacrifice!

Those of us that have a greater understanding of these things are being called by the Lord to 'help' others to have a great experience with feasting upon the words of Christ. We must help them develop a habit, no matter how hard or inconvenient, of studying and applying the principles in the Book of Mormon, so that they too can catch a hold of the iron rod and make it to the tree of life! I know and bare testimony, that the Book of Mormon is true. I know they are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that if we want to stand a little bit taller, to become a better person, to improve our temporal life, to find solutions to our daily problems, if we want merely anything, it all starts with opening up the Book of Mormon, and listening to the still small voice that will  teach us what we should do. I love you family, and hope and pray we can all develop a romantic relationship with this sacred book.

Love,

Elder Doane

March 23, 2014

Dear Family!

Thank you so much for all the emails! I love the stories you all share about the family! Especially about Drake, sounds like he had a blast at the Morp, Kylie is so awesome no? Good to hear Demi's doing well in track too. I'm sure mom made a great decoration for that dance.

The Lord is really teaching me how to be humble, even to be less than the dust of the earth. This last week the Lord revealed to Elder Perez and I things that we need to do to better ourselves as disciples of the Savior, sacrificing all of our natural wants and desires. It's been so great to work with Elder Perez, he's such a willing missionary to submit to the will of the Lord. He wants to learn, and wants to grow to his fullest potential. The improvement I've seen in him has been so great in these last 9 weeks! I know he'll really be something great, he's got about 10 months left in his mission.

Joseph Smith once said, "Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life."

I know that through sacrifice we really can obtain eternal life. It makes so much sense to me. As we sacrifice all of the things that would distract us from keeping our covenants with God, we will gain greater hope that He will help us prosper, and enable us with a greater desire and capacity to keep His commandments and endure to the end. The blessings from sacrifice are in-numerous, according to the amount we are willing to sacrifice. He asks us for, "a broken heart, and a contrite spirit..." then He says He will baptize us with fire, and with the Holy Ghost, meaning we will be forgiven for our sins again as we partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants with Him, and we can therefore enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost! It's so beautiful and simple how the Gospel works. One with a true desire to serve God can know His mysteries through sincere prayer and study in the words of the prophets, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Family I know that if we do all that we can to keep the commandments of God, He will prosper us! Sometimes we doubt because of our earthly wants and needs, but we just need to trust in His power. I truly believe He will enable us to prosper in the land as long as we keep our covenants that we've made with Him through the power and authority of His holy priesthood.

Our family can become a light to all others, as we show them our good example to glorify our Father in Heaven, and it starts with the small things! I love you all so much, and encourage you with all my heart to find those commandments that are the hardest for you to keep, and set goals and make plans how you'll improve. The Lord will help us! See you in 2 months family!

Love,

Elder Doane

March 16, 2014

Dearest Family!

Thank you so much for all the emails! Everything sounds like it's going so well back home. Spring break sounded great for the kids. They're growing up so fast it's crazy! I'm all set for summer registration, i'm emailing back and forth figuring things out with Trevor Wilson, he's such a great help. I'm signed up for a nutrition class and he suggested an easy religion class, like Marriage something, i'm excited! :) I can't think of anything for their morp outside idea? But I'm sure it will be a blast for Drake.

Last week was such a blessing to me, missionary work is the most inconvenient, most difficult, yet most rewarding work in the world. That's really why i love it, because it's so inconvenient! You know, it's really inconvenient to leave your family for 2 years, or to open your mouth and invite people to listen to missionaries, or to get up off the couch and help someone move into their new house, or to go visit those who are struggling in our quoroms, or a family that did not attend church one week.. it's all so inconvenient for our busy lives! But the most inconvenient things will bring the most effective results in the end. I'm so grateful for President Lopez and his faith in the Lord, he's taught me so many things just through his example. It was so good to see him again in our zone conference last week, he's just such a powerful servant of the Lord. In our zone conference I received many answers to my questions, and the Lord taught me what more I need to do to improve myself. At times it's easy to feel we're at a plateu, but that's when things get dangerous and we need to move. I realize that last week, and He really revealed some things to me that I need to do to keep moving upward!

Sister Barcelona's Baptism with Elder Doane and Elder Perez!!!

Last week Sister Barcelona was baptized! She was a former investigator a long time ago, but just did not want to listen, but lately she's fell in love with the Book of Mormon, and she is so strong, it's a miracle. In their place there are so many persecutions that come her way, because she's a Mormon now, but she says she doesn't care, and she just keeps inviting them to come with her to church and read the Book of Mormon.

The Lauzone Families Baptism with Elder Doane and Elder Perez!!!

Also last week was the Lauzon Family's baptism! It was supposed to be next week but with some scheduling conflicts it was moved to last week. Such a miracle. Brother was less active back then, but now he's back preparing for a calling, and he baptized his wife, and 3 kids on Saturday. I can't tell you of the Spirit i felt last week, I know all of these successes is only through the Atonement and our repentance.



The way I feel like I'm living in my mission right now can be explained in Alma 57: 19-26.. obeying with exactness. I'm not a perfect missionary, but I affirm my exact obedience by getting up every day by 6:30. Every day we leave the apartment, we fight desperately, relying wholly on the tender mercies of the Lord to give us success in the work.. and according to our faith, we can work miracles. I know if we fight every day, desperately, we can work miracles in our lives and the lives of others. If miracles have ceased, it is because of our own disbelief! But I know we will continue to walk in the light of the Lord's love if we obey. That is the foundation of my mission, and the rest of my life. I really don't know what the future will be like coming back in 2 months, but that doesn't matter, because I know I will obey, and the Lord will lead my for my good. That promise goes for all of us family! And it starts with the small things. I love you all so much, and pray that we will continue to seek to obey in all things. We always find an excuse to obey God's commandments.

Elder Doane