Friends and family,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone was able
to stay safe, but also able to enjoy their holiday! On the mission
it didn't feel much different than any other day, but that's alright.
It was a tough week with a lot of YSA's home visiting their family for
the holidays. We were still able to see success, and enjoyed the
work this week.
Tuesday- We started off the week
great with Temple Service again. It's definitely a blessing to be in the
Orlando South Zone, and have the opportunity to be so close
to the
Temple! We then went and talked with a man named Jhamez that just moved
into the ward. He's a professional boxer! How cool is that? We
weren't able to meet inside his home, so we went to a park near by.
About half way through the lesson, out of no where, it started to
pour rain. Me and Elder Peay were again, soaking wet. There was no
need to run back to the car because it didn't even matter. Someone
could have dumped a bucket of water over us and it wouldn't have made
a difference! It was fun though! We were able to have a good
laugh because of it!
Wednesday- Wednesday was rough. We had 5
appointments fall through. It was hard not to get frustrated with the
work, but we tried to keep an optimistic attitude when we went
finding! It was about 8 pm and we were about ready to throw in the towel
for the day. We were walking through a Walmart parking lot and we go
contact a young man named Duke. It was really a major blessing
from the Lord. He doesn't live in Orlando, but still wanted to listen and
learn more about the Church
and "Mormon Culture." We taught
him about the restoration, then he had to catch his flight back home. We were
able to get his phone number so we can refer him to the missionaries in
Pittsburgh! It was definitely a blessing to finish off the day by
sharing the message of the restored gospel with somebody. We came
home that night and realized it was New Years Eve! Nothing much really
changed though. We were able to have some fun with the package my uncle
Jeff and his family sent me!
(Shout out) (Pictures below) We stayed
up until 12, watched some fireworks from our apartment, then
headed to bed! Happy New Year!
Thursday- We started off the day with
Zone Training Meeting or "ZTM" We learned a lot about how we can be
more Christlike, and show more love to the people we come in contact
with. They then showed us some statistics of the Florida, Orlando
Mission for the year of 2014. It was crazy to think that I was here in
Orlando for half of the year. We then were able to go have lunch with a
member, and teach a couple of lessons with new ward members. We also
were able to see Cineus and talk to him more about the Aaronic
Priesthood and what it really is. He expressed how grateful he was, and he
compared how different his life was 3 months ago. He never thought
he would ever feel this "clean and pure" again. It's been awesome
to see him change and his desire to learn increase each lesson.
Friday- As always, good ol weekly
planning! We actually got a lot done and are excited for this upcoming week.
It's a long, tough process to spend most of the day inside planning
for the week, but it's so vital for the work to be done most
effectively. We finished planning then headed over to the temple!! We thought
it would be a good experience if we scheduled a couple of lessons
there that would really invite the spirit. Man, those lessons were
extremely powerful. Some of the most inspirational lessons I've had on my
mission. I love the temple. I'm grateful to have it so close to the area
I'm serving in, and get to see it so often. I can't wait to be able
to attend more often when I return from my mission.
Saturday- Saturday was an interesting
day. We woke up excited, optimistic, and ready for the day! We
meet with an investigator right off the bat Saturday morning. We found
him on Monday and set up the return appointment. He shared with us
that he is in a pretty tough situation and is currently living with a
guy that offered him a couch for a week. He doesn't have a job, and
he's gone down a couple of
wrong roads in his life and he knows he
needs to break some habits. We were excited to share the gospel with
him and bring some hope into his life! We invited him to read and pray,
and can't wait to meet with him again!
Sunday- Church was great this Sunday!
I'm loving fast and testimony meetings on my mission. I've been
blessed to be in wards with multiple converts to the church that have shared
their conversion story and testimonies. It's great to see their
testimonies and conversion continue to grow each week. I love the
gospel because there isn't a point where we just stop, throw in the
towel, and are done. There is
always more we can learn and improve on.
After testimony meeting, and gospel principals, Elder Peay and I
taught Elders Quorum! We were asked to teach about how the New Testament
and the message of the restoration compliment each other. Now
if we were to go back 6 months from now, I don't know if I'd be able to
teach a lesson longer then 5 minutes on that subject. There is a talk
in this month's ensign called, The Restored Testament that we were
asked to base it off of.
I'm grateful for my mission, and
the knowledge I'm gaining each and every
day. I've learned to trust that the Holy Ghost will be with me, and I'll
be able to teach simply and to others needs! Later that night, we had Break the
Fast where each of the members bring a dish to the
church and it's a big dinner before night sacrament! Great idea, right? It's
fun to continue connecting with the Ward, and feeling more and more
trusted each week.
Another week in the books here in Buena
Vista! We are half way through this transfer. Wow, time flies! Thanks
again for all of the support I've received. You guys are the best!
Talk to you soon.
Much love,
Elder Doman
*One of my best friends from back home
sent me a package for Christmas
that had a book in it called,
"Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy." by Richard G. Scott. It's been awesome to
read and I've learned a ton from reading it. This was a great quote
I found from it,
"Happiness has its roots in
obedience to the teachings of the Lord and faith in His capacity to fulfill His
promises. It can be enjoyed in an environment of poverty or wealth,
sickness or health, scarcity or abundance, serenity or challenge. Happiness
can and should be the general background which life is
lived."
Elder Doman
This dog almost killed me.
We walked up to the door and I didn't see it hiding
under the ghetto van. I mean, the dog
looked like it was on steroids, I had to get
a picture. I love the picture on the van
too! I thought it was hilarious.
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