District Photo

David is the district leader.

Sight Seeing and Shopping

 

Shopping for a new suit.

(I love that he took this picture in the dressing room!)

He's been wanting a "European cut suit".



July 29th

Once again not much has happened this week. I was able to get my companion out for a bit and he did do some work, although I did have to drag him out and make him work. So we did get some work done but nothing that I'm pumped about. The good news is that my comp phoned president and met with him again. I don't really know why president is still holding onto him. If someone doesn't want to be here send them home then. But he is going to phone president later today and I'm just praying that we can get all this fixed. I want to change Evington and to change this ward and everything but I need someone who is willing to do the same thing and well I don't have that right. Other missionaries have phoned me and asked why he is still here  They all think president should send him home. But president doesn't send anyone home for anything. One missionary went swimming in the ocean at like 2 am with a girl and he is still here. But I guess president sees things I don't see or understand.

I will get the results of my knee MRI this week. It is the day of a big meeting and the zone leaders asked if I could change the date. I just told them no I have waited a long time for this and I'm not waiting any longer, plus I hate meetings so I'm okay with being late.

I guess we will get answers this week to a lot of things I have been waiting for so I'm excited about this week and hope it is a good week.

I have found that my study the last few days has been very good. I'm reading Jesus the Christ and have found a few things to be very eye opening.

Thank you all for the prayers and emails I have felt a big change in me this week.

Love Elder Doty

July 22

Hello family and friends

Today marks my 8 month mark. Feels like I haven't even been out 6 months. It has gone by so fast!

This week my companion was sick all week so I just got to relax, lay in the sun and read my scriptures. I got myself a good sun burn on my arms so I'm kinda happy about that so I won't be so white.

I get the feeling my ward doesn't like me much. I don't know why. I got to speak in church again and no one came up to me and said " good job Elder Doty".  I can't seem to figure out this ward.

This week I hope to get some work done. We are meeting with a black person this week and I'm pretty pumped about that. I work well with black people for some reason.

I made a few phone calls this week and got a report on my old area. 6 of my 7 recent converts are active in church and one less active I worked with in Evesham is back in church. It was very nice to hear about that.

Thank you for all the emails and letters you guys are the best and I cannot thank you enough for helping me during this hard time for me. 

Love Elder Doty

On Exchange

This is Elder Sedillo. I have spent alot of time with this man. 

July 15th

Hello Family and friends

Another slow week. Not much is going on and I'm still struggling with my companion. He really doesn't want to be here and won't really do anything. It sounds like I'm just going to have to hold on for 2 more weeks then I can get someone new. I did an exchange with the AP here. That dude is kinda a retard. We didn't find many and well I left not feeling much better then when we started the exchange.

I still pull a lot of exchanges with other elders here in Leicester I think if I can't get my companion to do anything maybe I can help their area out. I think it's doing something. I'm really just out of ideas and am just holding on till the end of the transfer. 

I spoke in church the other day. My companion played sick so I had to get another elder to speak in church. I just told the ward we need help in finding. I only had about 3 mins to speak.

 

So I saw a doctor about my knee. By the looks of it I will need surgery. I have torn cartilage in my left knee. It doesn't heal on its own. You have to go into the knee and remove it. But they are going to have me get an MRI to see what it is. The MRI is next week and on 31 of july I get the results.

Nothing else to report because nothing is happening right now. Maybe something good will happen this week.

Thanks for the emails.  Love Elder Doty

 

July 8th

Hello family and friends

Not much has happened this week. A lot of exchanges with missionaries and I have a few more planned in the next few weeks. The weather here has been very nice and warm I'm loving it..

It's been a bit of a struggle getting my companion to go out and work and my time with him is about over. So I'm just kinda holding on right now and just waiting till this is over.

I don't really like the ward. I have already bashed heads a few times with members in the ward. The ward has maybe 2 families and they are a bit weird and it has lots of old people who were found by missionaries knocking on their doors. That was the old way and now it has to be changed but since they are old they think "I'm right and you are wrong" so that has led me to knock heads with a few people. Not good but it has already happened. I'm speaking in church this Sunday so maybe I can change my "mean missionary" look.

 

The English peeple are going nuts because of Andy Murray. They have a big screen in downtown here and people have just been sitting down and watching it.  It's funny how this is the only thing they really care about.

The 3 converts in Coventry got the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Many blessings from the Lord.

Thank you all for the prayers and emails.  They have been a big help. Hopefully this week we can get some work done here and I don't bash heads with the members.

 

Love, Elder Doty

Leicester

 David's flat used to be horse stables...

thus the sign at the front door.

Photos

On June 21st, Dave hit his 6 month mark.

Tradition says you burn a white shirt.

So... here's a photo of David keeping with tradition.

 David and Festus

 

Marcus, Susan and Festus on their baptismal day in Coventry.

July 1st

So I have been sent away from Coventry. I'm not very happy about it. I was in a great ward and had a great companion and great investigators, everything was going good in Coventry. But now I have been moved to a new area it is the Evington Ward. Let me just say that this place isn't as good as Coventry. The ward is very old and well I haven't even been in the ward a week and I already hurt a less active members feelings...that can explain why they are less active. The Evington Ward is the North East and Eastern side of Leicester. 70% of the city is Muslim. And they say in ten years it will be 100% Muslim.

We have almost no investigators. 1 investigator named Jeff who has issues about Joseph Smith and its rather deep doctrine. I won't really go into it but he has issues with Joseph Smith being a man called of god.

My new companion is Elder LaPard. He is 21 years old and is about 4 months out. He is a good guy just struggles finding desire to go out and work,  which I can understand because a mission is hard no question about it.  But all in all he is a good kid.

I live in a sweet flat! It once was a stable for horses! I have pictures and they are pretty cool.

Yesterday I was able to go to Coventry for the baptisms. I was very happy about that and I have pictures of it. It was maybe the best day of my mission. Now I just have to do what I did in Coventry here in Evington.

Thank you all for the letters and emails. Miss you all and love you all!
Elder Doty