End of January

David goes to the public library to use the computer there.  Here is today's e-mail from him:

 

"okay some old man just came up to me. I'm kinda creeped out.  He was talking about Romney  and he smelled bad but anyways...

Hello

This week was a very hard week. The snow is finally gone now but now that means lots of rain. Thursday I was not feeling well at all so we went out and then had to come back to the flat because I just couldn't do it. Then I slept for 5 hours so I was feeling a bit better. I am still on some drugs but no worries about that. Friday we found a few potential investigators and I feel like one might be very good. Her name is Kelly (we might be talking about her later). Saturday was SO bad. Started with a flat tire like 30 seconds into the day and then people that we had planned to meet with didn't show up so then we had backup plans to see people and that didn't work and everyone that we went by to see was gone or didn't want to see us. Just a very hard day for both elder dalton and I.

Sunday they called a new branch president and some priesthood are moving out. So we have no idea who the ward mission leader is now but I'm sure they will call one later. Only Brain came to church. and all he does is come to church. He is an old guy who doesn't really want to see us but comes to church. I don't understand it either. Besides that nothing else happened from Wednesday to now. Oh Angie said that she has prayed about baptism and she feels very good about it. So we should have a date with her next week. Other investigators are still meeting with us every now and then taking it slow. We need to find some more people to teach, but that will take care of it self. Well I miss you all alot and hope you all are doing well.

Love Elder Doty

 

Evesham Elders

 

David didn't say anything with this photo, but obviously these are Elders he knows.

 

David and his companion, Elder Dalton.



Late Letter

David's regular Monday e-mail did not come on Monday or Tuesday.  I began to worry...  Finally on Wednesday we heard from him:

 

"Sorry about not getting to email on Monday as it is transfer week and they moved P-day to Wednesday.

 So for the last few days we have been busy teaching alot of people. We still need alot more to teach so also alot of finding. Not sure if any are going to come to church or join but we have to follow up with a few.  Also we have been having alot of snow here in Evesham. and when that happens like the whole town shuts down. We can't bike and no one wants to see us so the snow really just sucks. We don't really like it...at all. So as I said it was transfers week and no big changes. Elder Dalton and I are staying here in Evesham.  Only two investigators at church which isn't our best but we keep trying.

Andrew: so he is Angies ex husband. We get a call monday night from Angie saying we need to go swing by because he said he is going to kill himself. oh boy... so we go over see him. He was fine and we have started teaching him. And we saw him about 3 times last week so he is doing well. Another guy that is going to take his time. But he came to church so maybe we can get something.

Angie keeps coming to church 5 times in a row now. We asked her about being baptized. She says she needs some time. I figure by this week we will have a date.

Paul: he dropped us the other day. He doesn't see how Joseph Smith can be called of God. We might go see him in a month or so but he doesn't think that Joseph Smith is real or that he saw God the Father and Jesus. So if he can't get over that problem we can't really move forward. He also won't read the Book of Mormon.. so we/he dropped.

Gavin: oh man Gavin haha he is making big steps. We are going to really try and get him to church this sunday. He is doing  just 1 beer a day. Smoking on the other hand is a differernt problem. He is really doing well. He reads the book of mormon everyday. He hides it from his girlfriend. and he prays every 30 mins. He is so funny. But he is doing alot better.

That's really everyone we are seeing. we see others here and there but they are the main ones. We really need to find more people. But we can't get anywhere because of the snow. So the snow really needs to just melt.

I am doing alright thank you all for everything. I miss you all and love you all so much.

Finally Some PIcs

 

David in his apartment. 

 

David working hard to visit with other people while traveling on the train. (!)



January 14th Letter

"On Monday we had P-day so nothing really too cool there. On Tuesday we had exchanges.  I stayed in Evesham on my own and nothing went as planned. We had plans to meet with Angie and to help out at at a member's house who passed away a few weeks ago and nothing went as we planned it. I was very upset but the elder I was with told me "our plans didn't work out the way WE wanted them too but God has something else planned for us to do." I didn't really know where to go or what to do so we prayed and we went to a investigator's house and talked with him for a bit which is something he really needed because we had been out of touch for a few weeks so that was really good. We then did some tracting by the spirit and found 3 people who want us to stop by some other time.

 Wednesday we exchanged back for about an hour then I went on exchanges with the zone leaders to Cheltenham. We just kinda did some stuff he needed to do and reached a few people.  It was all around pretty good. He helped me get better at making small talk with people on the street which is something I really need help with.

Thursday elder dalton and i finally got back to evesham. and we had a day to work. we went around looking for people and didnt have much success. but we did go home teaching with a member who visited alot of less actives so that was the high light of the day.

Friday was freaking nuts. We had a flat check and we passed.  No problem there because elder dalton and I are the best. We then had to go to the mission home for a "new missionary meeting".  Not going to lie that was a big waste of time. We did get pizza which is always great. We did get to hear president bear his testimony which was very powerful. He is such a loving and caring man. He told me that day he had gotten up at 4 and had nothing to it. It was 6 pm when he told me that. SO crazy!! I could never do that. So I guess president had been telling everyone, and I mean everyone, that my 1st door  I ever knocked on I got into and she is getting baptized.  I think he may have gotten his story mixed up. But like everyone in the mission comes up to me and says, "You elder Doty?  Your first door you knocked on that lady is getting baptized?" I'm like uhhh no.  Elder Dalton just told me to go with the flow and just say yes. He wants me to go AP (assistant to the president) so he tells everyone that I'm the best missionary in the world. Which is not true at all. Also I got to ride shotgun in the presidents car. Pretty cool huh. It was for like 5 mins to the train station...but still we later went train hopping to get back to Evesham by like 9:45.

Saturday we went to the Wildings and did some help around their house. Is was really just moving dirt around. We owe them some help because we went over there for Christmas. After we finished they had elder Dalton cut open some duck because he knows how to do that because he is a red neck from southern Utah. So he does stuff like that all the time. We later that day got ahold of an investigator and recommitted him to read and pray. See how that turns out

Sunday we had 4 investigators come to church. Angie came for all 3 hours. Our plan this week is to get her on a date to be baptized. hope that works out. Her ex husband came for the sacrament he then left right after so we couldn't talk to him. But we will find him don't worry."

 

Part of David's e-mail home:  He's talking about one of his investigators... "Angie. My girl.  No really. But she is doing so well. She has been to church 3 weeks in a row. Elder dalton and the other elder who was on exchange went to see her. On Sunday we had a lesson on the word of wisdom. So when they went to see her she said she had started living it!! Elder Dalton said the lesson went very well. We called her later that week and she had a fall back but she is trying. She is doing very well. She came to church and brought one of her kids. And she had her ex husband come!! Andrew, he said we could come by and teach him sometime. So something might be there. But Angie is doing very well. Crazy to think she was the 1st book of Mormon I gave out in the mission.

I had an interview with the president the other day. He is so loving it's not even funny. So nice too. I walk in there thinking he is going to tell me what I can do better. No. He tells me how much he loves me and how great elder dalton and I are doing. He asked me about angie. Said he has told maybe 100 people about her already. How on day 1 we see her and she has come to church 3 times now. It was like he thinks I'm the perfect missionary, which I'm not.  But yeah, he tells me how much he loves me and asks how I'm doing and then ends the interview. It was crazy.  He said just keep doing what we're doing. I was shocked. He may me feel really good, but I know I can do better here in Evesham.

Sunday we had Angie and her ex husband at church. Very good. It was fast Sunday...so that was rough. It's hard with only like 40 memebers at church.

At the start of the week we biked about 25+ miles all over the place to see people. My legs are still swore from that."

 

(I've told David that he needs to send me more pictures...)

New Year's Eve & Flooding

E-mail from David:  "For new years eve all missionaries have to be in the flat at 6pm. It's a mission rule. I think it's because like everyone will just be drinking like crazy.

We had a rough week. I was sick for a bit. No investigators want to see us because it's Christmas week.  But we did pick up 2 new investigators and we had 4 at church!! So it was alright.  Everyone in the mission is pretty much sick, so the ill bug is going around here.

The only thing cool is we have been having lots of storms."

 

I found a news article from the "Evesham Journal" that talks about the flooding.  Kind of interesting...

Floods hit Evesham over festive period

12:23pm Monday 24th December 2012 in News By Sarah Taylor

A VERY wet and rainy Christmas is forecast across the Vale this year as flood warnings are put in place for the festive period.
The river Avon in Evesham is due to peak for a second time on Christmas Day at around 3.2 metres after reaching a high of 3.17 on Sunday.
Today the Environment Agency confirmed the flood warning for the river would remain in place over the Christmas period.
A number of roads around the district have been closed today including the B4035 Waterside in Evesham, which was shut at around 11.30am, after only a few hours of being re-opened. Farm Lane in South Littleton and East side in North Littleton are also closed.

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Ronald Briggs, chairman of the 23 to 34 Waterside Evesham Flood Defence Trust, said: “The Crown Meadow is flooded, it is like one big lake. We have put the defences up. It is about three metres above normal river level at the moment.”