March 24th

March 22nd was a great day - Maybe the best day of my mission.  The Goddards from Evesham went to the London temple and were sealed as a family!! Also that was my 16 month mark...I'm a old man out here.   

Wales is still great! I love this place! I still can't really understand anyone but I just act like I do, I'm getting really good at that. Things are just so nice.  Elder Moore has been here a long time so he knows almost everything about the area so it's very laid back.  No getting lost just work and that's something I can do. I don't have to worry about all the other little stuff.

Some news with our Investigator Gavin and Rob. They live at this home which is an animal rescue shelter with a member. They have so many cats, dogs, rabbits and all kinds of things from a pig to a Raven and all kinds of things even huge snakes (sorry dad). But anyways they were given a 2 months heads up to move out. The landlord lady wants the house so workers for this church of England can live there and work at the church. So they have been stressed out of their minds. They have to find a place for themselves and also a place for all the animals to live. They are looking for a barn or something so the animals can continue to live with them but if they don't find a place for them or the animals they will have to put the animals to sleep. So a very stressful thing for them and that has kinda put there progress on investigating the church really slow. So pray for a blessing or something good to happen.

Still working with a few less actives they are kinda slow as well. People seem to think they have all the time in the world sometimes.

I got a few pictures:  A sign I saw at a curch that made me laugh

 the tower looking thing is where the welsh Rugby team plays

 

and a selfie of elder moore and me

 

March 17th - Wales Baby!

I just love Wales!  It's so nice over here.  I can't understand the people much but they are just great.

I've only got 10 mins. left so I'm rushing a bit. But this was a good week.  We had elder Texira of the 70 come for a visit.  It's good stuff. We found out we are the highest baptizing mission in Europe so that was pretty cool.

 

The members here feed us every day. I'm getting at least one meal a day sometimes two a day.  It feels like I'm in Utah and the members just love me. We are working with a lot of less actives and getting them back to church and a few investigators. I got an email from elder Durrant. Marcus and Susan Caven who we taught in Coventry are making plans to go to the temple in June/ July time to be sealed as a family!!

Love you all so much,

Love Elder Doty

March 10th - I Asked For More and They Gave Me Moore!

I have been sent away to Wales!! I'm in a new area called Bridgend with Elder Moore. Elder Moore has been out just 6 weeks longer than me. So i'ts nice to have someone who knows what they are doing...well kinda, we both don't really know what we are doing but we are getting along great!

Bridgend is awesome and I love it here. The ward is SO nice. People just came up to us and gave us food and we have a dinner almost every night. It's so nice and we have a lot of less actives that are trying to come back and we have investigators. On Sunday a 11 year old boy of one of the less actives came to church. He went to high priests and our ward mission leader was in there and told us this long story.  To sum it up the 11 year old boy's name is Jay and he wants to become a member of the church and be baptized!  So we plan to work with him this week.

Tuesday was such a sad day. I said goodbye to my good friend elder Taylor (Caleb) and he took off to go home. His mission is over I got to spend a lot of time with him the last 6 weeks and I'm very sad to see him go. He does plan on coming back to see the Goddards be sealed as a family on march 22nd.

So Wales... it has a lot of hills and I don't really understand the people at all. They say the hint is the just focus really hard on what they are saying and you will then understand them... wish it was that easy but some people on the street I have no idea what they are even saying. Most people don't speak Welsh, just English but their accent is really hard to understand. There are loads of castles here as well so I get to see a lot of old stuff. Also we are along the coast so you know what that means... I get to see the ocean. I was able to grab fish and chips along the coastline.  

Hope you all are doing well. miss you all so much!!

March 3rd - Let the Madness Begin

Monday Elder Worlton got a call from president that he is going to be training so that means that I will be getting the boot out of Worcester. I don't know where I'm going yet. Rumor still has me going back to Evesham. But I did start that rumor so it really doesn't mean much.

Tuesday I just showed Elder Worlton around the area and told him what I know about members and all of our investigators.

Wednesday we had district meeting but we had to stay extra long due to someone jumping in front of the train... so I have a few pictures of the district.

Thursday we had to close down the other elders in Worcesters flat and get Elder Taylor's stuff over to ours, help clean the flat and move all the stuff into the APs van.  It was just a bit of a crazy day.  We had to say goodbye to Elder Bolingbroke. I already miss him and it’s only been like 4 days. Because some Elder went home early and it’s so close to transfers we had to move Elder Bolingbroke over to fill in the elders place. Then we had Dinner at the Nolan's and I finally won in Uno!  We play it every week and my last week I finally won. Shout out to the Nolan's they read my blog every week!

Friday Elder Worlton had to go up to the mission home for a “how to train new missionaries” meeting. So I got to spend the day with Elder Taylor and we took the rest of the stuff out of the other elders’ flat and did a whole bunch of stuff that he needed to get done for going home since he will be heading home on Tuesday. Sad to see him go. But I'm sure I will bump into him after the mission.

Saturday we did more getting things for Elder Worlton’s new missionary and Elder Taylor getting things ready to go home.

Sunday I got to say goodbye to members and get a few photos with them and did a bit of seeing around Worcester so Worlton has an idea of what he is doing when he gets his boy.

Tonight I will find out where I'm getting moved to. I don't get why they just don't tell us on Sunday night so I can tell you all where I'm going. but whatever.  Miss you all and love you!

Love Elder Doty

Photos: The Nolans! The best family is Worcester hand down. They are people that really do care about missionaries. They fed us every week. A big thank you to them. And they gave me that sweet looking tie!  (Thank you Nolans Family!! - David's mom really appreciates all you've done for him!!)

And the Evesham district. I have spent over half my mission in the Evesham district.

UPDATE: 

I have just been sent to Wales!! To an area called Bridgend! And I have already spoken to my new comp Elder Moore and I already like him. Hoping for a good transfer!

February 24th

This Friday I got a call from Elder Taylor to give me the best news ever!! The Goddards in Evesham are going to the temple to be sealed as a family on March 22!! Elder Taylor is going home next week but is coming back to go to their sealing...and to date a girl. But I was so happy when I heard that. The Goddard's got baptized my 3rd day in the mission and I was able to work with them after for 6 months until I left Evesham. President will be getting  a few phone calls from me asking if I can go to the London Temple with them, but he has never let anyone out of the mission for any reason. Except for going home and that stuff.

This week the weather hit a high of 11 degrees! And for England in the winter that's unreal.  So I spent a lot of time by the river talking to people. The floods are all gone now so it’s back to normal and not 45 feet higher than normal.

We met with a black guy named Jeffery and things went well and we plan to see him again this week. I changed how I stop people and things are going a lot better. I just look for 16-30 year olds and just stop them and have a chat with them and then mix in the gospel and it went very well this week.  We had a very good week.  We’re still trying to find that next person who is golden.

Rumor is Donna is still on track for the 1st of  March so I’m very happy about that.

Later today for district pday we are going to go hike up this way old tower so I will have photos of that later today when I get back from Evesham.

Miss you all and Love you all

When we got the district here sister brown was missing and the two other elders in Worcester couldn't make it due to not having money. So we ended up not going to the tower but we played games and stuff.  It was a fun day. 

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February 17th

On Monday I was able to go play some basketball which I haven't done in ages! It felt so good I miss it. And good news is...I still got my jumper. Just wait Adam and dad this guy is going to light you up like its new years!!!

 In other news I visited my second home EVESHAM!! Oh it was so nice to be back in the tiny little flat and seeing people and walking the streets where I started my mission. I never thought I would say this but I wanna go back and serve there only like 12 weeks not 6 months like last time,  but I would just love it. I would be able to see everyone I haven't seen in a year! A lot has changed in a year, even in that small little place. That was the high light of my week easy.  I love Evesham!  I felt like I was part of the family when I was there.

In Worcester we have had loads of flooding.  The local river is 45feet higher than the normal height. But we live far away from the river so no bad flooding for us unlike it was in Boston when I was almost flooded.

Speaking of Boston if any of you remember Donna she was a lady I found and taught in Boston. She was on a date when I left and she dropped the date a short time after I left Boston to go to Worcester. But she is back on a date for March 1st.   So I will be having a baptism in 2014 just not in my area. If Boston was closer I would make a trip of it.  But I plan to speak to her on the phone to tell her congrats. I'm very excited about that!

Besides that nothing really has been happening, just trying to find people and stay dry from the down pour of rain which didn't really happen.

February 10th

So this week it rained I think every day and the river seven has been flooded.  So everything is being shut down.  It reminds me of my days out in Boston where the whole town pretty much got flooded. This week was rather rough in not finding anyone and our investigator Craig was busy this week so we were not able to see him, but hopefully this coming week.

 We had our zone meeting this week and president came. He picked on me and my buddy Elder Bolingbroke a lot getting us for not calling each other by our correct title "Elder".  I just use last names but I must change according to president because it doesn't sound "professional".  How can we be professional... we are volunteers.  But I will change to become a better person. Other than that,  just a lot of finding. Today we have zone pday so I will get to go off to Cheltenham and play some football so it should be good.  love you and miss you all very much.