Being Bold will Bless Your Life & Others

So we had a fantastic week of learning how to truly rely and pray with real intent for the spirit to be with us. Also with how being bold will not only bless your life but the lives of others :)  I know that God answers prayers and I also realize and understand what real intent means. It means giving everything to God, your thoughts, your desires, the very fibre of your being and then trusting that he will answer in his own way and in his own time. Then we must be willing and ready to submit to the will of the Lord to trust that he knows best and that his miracles and purposes will come to pass.

This past week's miracles were with two of our "eternigators". Simply we were bold and lovingly explained the reason why they needed to and how we can help them repent and get answers from God.

The first investigator named T has been scheduled multiple times by missionaries in the past but has never reached his date. He always thought very reply about the gospel and missed the surface understanding. Multiple times he would have questions and concerns arise and we didn't brush them under the carpet but we either responded "we don't know right now but how about you give us some time and study it yourself and the next time we meet we can talk about it" or it was something like a surface concern that had something underneath it we would simply respond and make him think by saying "does this matter in the grand scheme of things and to your salvation?"  Many times he had questions about Chinese rumours of church history and we had to make him realize that all the prophets and apostles are men and when they make mistakes or bad judgements, it is because they make the mistakes of men (Book of Mormon title page).  This church is perfect ran by imperfect people and we must help our investigators see that church is a "sanctuary for sinners" not a "spa for saints"

So multiple times he would have concerns come up that we were scabs above the original wound, they were simply a covering over top of fissure within our should and we would patiently and with love try our best to dig deep into the heart and find what their real concern was. Then we helped him realize that he has already received the answer by the spirit working with him to come to church, to read, to study, and ponder and pray.

Sometimes as missionaries we just have a hope that people get the classic answers that come out of the scriptures so then we can say "you see now, we are right because it is in the scriptures", but we must truly be in tune with the spirit and remember that God will give the answers to our people in a way that they will recognize and that if we humble ourselves we can be a tool in his hands

Miracles truly happen if we are willing to sacrifice for them and have faith that God will help us. We were then able to see miracles because we have the power and moral authority to call down the hosts of heaven to help us out and finally, his concerns were resolved and he said "I believe". Brother T is being baptized this Saturday February 21st and and taking his first step on his path to return to his father. YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FRIENDS CAN TOO! Anyone who you desire to come to Christ can and will, if you will be obedient and put yourself as a tool in the Lord's hands

D&C 100:1-8

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends [insert your names here], your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.

2 Therefore, follow me, and listen to the counsel which i give unto you

3 Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this [prepared] land.

4. Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me or the salvation of souls.

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.

We repeated his with another investigator of our last night (Sunday February 15) and for months he has refused to pray. He simply would say that he couldn't force it but that it must come from him. We then also used our resources of the pamphlets and showed him how he was right that prayer must come from the heart and he humbled himself and prayed. It was a marvellous experience in which we knew that he was taking to his father.

Many times in our lives we may be downtrodden or discouraged but I have faith, and I would dare to say knowledge, God as my witness, that if we work just a little harder and take it day by day at a time in our missions will be a wonderful experience where we will be able to see miracles and the mercy of God in our lives. We will feel his love and be able to help others feel his love as well. If we are simply obedient, willing to humble ourselves to obtain the spirit, let go of our fears and trust that God's will eventually will come to pass, we will have the moral authority and the rights to call down the angels and the miracles of heaven.

All it takes to have miracles in your heart and your faith. Ether 12:6  And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.

Sincerely,

Elder Zachary Lee Dotschkat

I can't seem to figure out why time is flying so fast!

Hi Everyone it is I ... Elder Dotschkat!

So we've had a pretty good week, not much earth shattering things happened but some simple sweet things helped us out through the week.

So Monday we spent the day in Newcastle and it was great fun going to all the suit shops and looking at them! This one shop we went to though I nearly swallowed my tongue. There were suits that were like $5000!! CRAZY! (good suits though hahaha)

Tuesday was pretty good. We were just running around trying to get a lot done in the little time that we had. I have really been trying to push myself to work hard and leave everything in the field. I want to be able to look at my mission and say that I was a servant of the Lord for the two years and I did my best to serve him.

Wednesday was pretty good. We spent most of the day in Newcastle for a doctor appointment for Elder Dickson and great news ... he's ok! (I thought he was be he desired a second opinion lol)  In the evening we just had a great time seeing Brother Peter Conn again and letting him know that the Lord loves him. He is such a humble man and is truly a worthy son of God. We watched the Mountain of the Lord DVD with him and talked about his next steps towards our Heavenly Father.

Thursday was good. We went finding all day and had a great time! We saw some deer too. Friday was planning day and we had a great time talking about all the important people that we are working with. Highlight of the day was the tea appointment with a RM and his new wife :) We had some great laughs and made great memories there. Then the weekend was good. I had to give a talk again on Sunday (they must like the sounds of my voice). I look forward to always teaching people what I have learned and share it with them :)

Well I must go I can't seem to find why time is going so quick but hey ... just do your best while it is the day.
Have a great week everyone.
Love you all!
Elder Dotschkat

PS - the hymn that inspired me this week was How Firm a Foundation #85

Farewell sweet Sister Carlin

Hello Everybody

Well this week was definitely one where I think that I have learned to rely on the Lord for my support and for refining who I am into who I can be and to fulfill the desires that I have for those people that I love. It has also been a week that could have been fairly emotional but I have felt the comfort and reassurance of the Holy Ghost in my life :)  I thank my Savior and my Heavenly Father for the "Other Comforter" - see St. John 14:14-18.

So this past Monday we once again just had a relaxing P-day ... didn't do much. Just went home and wrote letters and slept and read scriptures :) Just took some time for our bodies to recuperate. Elder Dickson's favourite scripture is Mosiah 4:27
27 And see that all things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

So as you can tell, he loves to rest, take life at an easy pace and then get the work done with energy to spare ...sometimes our work ethics butt heads cause I like to work hard and play harder leaving everything on the field. He is teaching me how to relax though!

Tuesday we had some great teaching appointments all day that we explained who we are and what we stand for. It was funny because we had one of our 80 year old male investigators give us a bunch of situations to react to and teach him and it was hilarious to see him act so funny. That truly made my day!

Wednesday was a shock to the system by the end of the day. We had a great day Wednesday we made a list of people that the district wanted to pray for and to keep in mind during our fasts this Sunday and it was great to see everyone rally around and support one another. I know that if we do our part that the Lord will bless us in abundance through our obedience to his commandments and his will. So in the evening we had a pretty big shock. This past Christmas we were very blessed to spend quality time with a wonderful family and we found out that this past Wednesday Heavenly Father called this wonderful daughter home. Sister Gladys Carlin was a truly wonderful lady who was determined to serve God and His children, she was an inspiration to many and a true friend to all who met her. You will truly be missed but always remembered in our smiles, laughter and hearts with the wonderful memories that all have shared with you :)

Thursday was alright. We were kind of in a daze with everything that had gone on but through the grace of Heavenly Father and the comfort of the Holy Spirit we rallied ourselves together so that we would be able to accomplish the Lord's work for that day. Just had to take it one step at a time and trust that God will sort everything out. We went over to the H family's house once more and spent some time with them talking about how the Lord will comfort us in our trials and raise us to a higher view. See Mosiah 24:13-14, Alma 31:38, 36:3, 38:5 and Ether 12:6. We then were able to have the spirit touch each of our hearts and we knew that it was time to go. In the evening we had a great tea appointment and discussion of future hopes and dreams with the R family and we were able to determine that if we simply trust in God and His promises that everything will turn out the way that it is meant to be. God has a plan for each of us and we will find our place if we truly search and follow his will.

Friday was finding all day in the cold .. enough said! It is pretty cold here being so close to the north sea and what is even crazier is that people go swimming an surfing in it. Anyways, lets just say it is very cold!

Saturday was a very busy day and it was great to see the hand of the Lord in our travels because he simply led us catch all of the buses that we needed to be on time! I have grown to hate with a vengeance even the thought of being late ... Like I would rather be 15 minutes early to something rather than have everyone rubber-necking at you when you come in late. So that was a blessing that we caught every bus that we needed to. Then we went finding all day and that was pretty good. Did not have much success but we were able to learn to be determined and persevere even though we don't see the blessings yet. Yup learning loads here! Got to be soothing I'm eating I think lol.

Sunday was a pretty good day. Testimony meeting was a time that we truly reflected upon what we have gained as a testimony and what God is giving us with each day of our lives. There were many people that talked about the plan of salvation and a few tears shed but I realized something ... I love these people here. They are truly wonderful and I am thankful that I can share this special time that I have to serve the Lord with them.

Well I must run but before I do, know this ...
I know God lives and loves us.
I know that we have a wonderful Savior who knows everything that we go through and if we simply rely on him we can conquer anything in our path.
I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
I know that the Priesthood is the power of God to bless his children.
And I know that families can be together forever.

I love you guys.
Have a great week.
Love
Elder Dotschkat

How do you eat an elephant?

Hey Guys!
So this week has been pretty great! I cannot believe how fast this time is going though! YIKES! hahahaha  Lets just say that we are trying to make every moment count! Elder Dickson and I are really having fun together and enjoying to laugh at the world and the troubles that come before us.

So Monday was a pretty good day. We seriously just had a good preparation day. We got all our groceries and all that and then we went home and relaxed. In the evening we had a good lesson in where I learned that the spirit is what truly teaches and that we much teach the children of God. That's pretty much the simplest format of what stood out to me on P-day.

Tuesday was a great day full of revelation and full of the spirit! We had zone training meeting and we had the Assistants and President & Sister Pilkington come up to instruct, inspire and motivate us to do better and to be better. There were many things that stood out to me but one of my main thoughts were "All of its unsells UNTIL we apply it!" So when we go to be inspired and to grow, we must act and become what we desire! Even if its just a little step closer :) How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time :D

Wednesday was great! Elder Dickson has been freezing lately in the weather here and we finally found him a great jacket! I'm so glad that he is warm now and that he is able to have a smile all the time! He is such a great guy and such a great man, I definitely look up to him. One of the most humble people that I know!

Thursday was another great day full of painting! I love going to the Horton family's house and helping them out in any way that we can. There are so many wonderful members around this world and they all need the great help, even just a call or text message saying that someone cares! In the evening we had a delicious meal with another family in the ward and it was great to have a good laugh with them! Then Elder Dickson showed them his pictures and he seriously looks like Antonio Banderas in Zoro when he's got facial hair lol!

Friday was alright. The highlight of that day was watching some great messages about the atonement of the Savior and his grace. - Here's a link to one of them  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAaa135NnAY

Sorry for the short message but all in all it was a great week and I fell that I'm taking steps closer and necessary to become the refined man that God wants me to be.
Have a great week all!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE …. LOVE YOU LITTLE SIS!
See you later
Elder Dotschkat

A trip to Bamborough Castle!

Hello Guys! 

So this week was pretty interesting and let's just say that I learned a lot from what I talked with people about, the feelings that I had, the people that I met and the experiences that grew my testimony of the Savior. I know that it is always the darkest before the dawn and that if we simply trust in the Lord and his direction that he will bless us in abundance. I know that if we do the Lord's work and focus on others that all other matters that worry us and those feelings of fear will be washed away in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement is not only a redeeming power but an enabling power that makes miracles capable to be performed by the children of men and by the priesthood power of the Lord's servants.I know that if we are bold and simply proclaim truth and testify to those around us of the blessings of the Gospel that they will feel the spirit pierce their hearts and have courage and faith enough to act and follow our Savior and Master Jesus Christ. I love my mission right now and the truths that I am able to learn through my trials and tribulations. I thank God each day for how he teaches me and molds me into not simply becoming someone new but refining who I am so that I will one day become like him through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

So on Tuesday we had a wonderful preparation day full of laughter, relaxation, answers, revelation, reassurance and most of all the spirit. This past Pday we were allowed and blessed to spend some time with a member couple in the ward and they were loving towards us and took us to experience the culture and heritage of this wonderful country. I absolutely loved it! Since I served in Sunderland I had dreamed about traveling to Bamborough Castle! It was a fantastic journey that we had! It took a while to get there but we filled the time with heartfelt conversation and I must say that it truly helped me with a couple of questions and concerns that I had been having lately. We talked about how God will bless us with our sincere desires if we first simply desire the kingdom of God and to return to him. ( 3 Nephi 13 :33, Matthew 6:33)  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" It was a great time of reflecting and realizing that the Lord has many great and wonderful things in store for each of us and all that he simply asks of us is to trust Him, do His will and work whilst we are here in this probationary state of our mortal existence and keep the commandments.

Wednesday was a pretty good day as well! Due to the great preparation day that we had we were ready and willing to work our hearts out on Wednesday. And that's what we did! hahaha We went finding and door knocking ALL DAY! I must say that it was fairly cold but we realized that time goes much quicker if you try to enjoy it rather than try to do it simply to get it done. Life is not a race, it is a marathon of a thousand journeys and we must enjoy every moment of it because it goes far too quickly! I have seen my mission speed up in these last few months and BOY! its going fast!!! So our first 30 minutes of knocking was drudgery but we had this epiphany and we started to talk about things that we enjoyed to do or memories of good times and hand on heart the next 45 minutes felt like 10! Crazy huh!? 

Thursday was the day that I learned the biggest lesson that stood out to me. Our missionary work was very busy and exciting that day and we were very blessed to be able to focus on other people rather than ourselves :) We have been working as everything is up to us and praying as if everything is up to the Lord! Because of the inward commitment that we have to the Lord that has been strengthened and become a greater resolve to do his work we were able to sacrifice some comforts for the greater good and for the benefit of others! I feel very fortunate to have an opportunity to do this work and I glory not in my sacrifices but I glory in the blessings that other people receive from our father in Heaven and I am grateful to simply be a tool in his hands to accomplish his work and his purposes. We worked pretty hard Thursday and ran from appointment to appointment to be able to see as many people as possible! We ended up needing a favor ( a ride to the next area over) from a member because we had become so busy! hahaha As we were traveling , we got lost.....Now I don't mean just a little turned around, WE GOT SO LOST!!! The member didn't even know where we were! lol I said a little prayer that "Lola" the GPS would work and guess what! 2 minutes later she stopped blabbering on about recalculating and whatever and she finally directed us to where we wanted to be. When we finally got to our destination we were given some news that could have shaken our world, especially mine but thankfully the members that we were going to visit are great friends to us and simply took care of us whilst I got my head together. They reassured me that everything would be okay and that all will work out for the benefit of the Lords servants (members included) and that I simply needed to trust in the Lord and his plan and get on my knees and talk with Him. I had been doing that lately more and feel the sincerity of my conversations with my father growing and I am grateful to have a testimony that he is always there and going to always be there for us, especially in times of confusion and turmoil. The members then made me laugh a lot with their funny stories and jokes and then we talked about their future sealing date and it made the whole situation that could have shaken me a lot better. They drove us home and it was great to be embraced in their arms and feel the love and care that a friend would have for another friend who is struggling. These people have definitely helped me out with understanding who I am, who I was and how I can become a more refined me! I love the Horton family. 

Friday was the day of miracles and testimony building experiences. In the morning I go some answers and direction from the Lord and his chosen servants on how to react to everything that happened in the 24 hours of Thursday. In it I was given the direction to work about the work of the Lord where I am at and God will take care of all the other things in my life and he will watch over, bless and take care of those whom I love so dearly. I was told that I need to trust Gods plans and even though I don't understand them now that He will reveal it to me through time and that I will gain experience understanding and learning from all the experiences, the good and the bad, that I have in this sacred time that I have to serve him. I know that this is not my 2 years, but the Lords 2 years and that if I serve him, even though I am an unprofitable servant and can never repay him for what he has done for me, that He will bless me and those people I love in abundance. So that's what I did! I gave all my troubles in my heart to the Lord and focused on His work and His children. Sometimes as humans in this mortal existence of ours we forget a few things and we focus on pointing in when our supreme exemplar Jesus Christ always pointed out! We sometimes forget that we are eternal beings and that we are Gods children. Just pause a moment and think what it means to be a Child of God to you......I will give you some time.....

To be a child of God is to be the offspring of one eternal supreme being who knows all, sees all, creates all and LOVES ALL! God loves each one of us, our faults and imperfections included and it is his supreme purpose to firstly have created us , but to also help us to become like him and have all that he has. He desires for us to return to him in glory and perfection and to be able to eternally progress in the futures to come. We learn this many times in the Holy Scriptures (Moses 1 :39)  but we need to learn it for ourselves! We need to learn who we are and what potential we have and then we must give a place for hope and faith and mold our desires to become like our father! When we finally do this and draw close to him, he will then draw close to us and bless us infinitely!

So....That wasn't my immediate thought, I have pondered what to say for these past few days and that's what has come out. My immediate thoughts were, trust God and he will take care of you even though you cannot see the full picture. ( Ether 12 :6, Proverbs 3: 5-6, Isaiah 55: 8-9 , Doctrine and Covenants 6 : 33-37). I had a moment of reflection and then we went to work....That day was truly miraculous! We were blessed to see 3 of Heavenly Fathers children commit themselves to coming to him through the waters of baptism at the end of February! I know know much fuller in my mind and soul that God has a plan for us, will protect and bless us and that "It is always the darkest before the Dawn" 

Saturday was another day of reflection and of growth. Due to the recent days events I had given my opportunities to pour myself into my scriptures in my personal study and was very grateful to see such gems that my father in heaven had in store for me at the exact time that I needed it. I know that God is there just as I know that I exist. I know he is there because there are too many things that I experience to blame on circumstance or chance. A wise friend of mine back home once told me that " There are no such things as coincidences, coincidence is merely a name that our Father in Heaven uses to stay anonymous when He wants to bless us ". The most exciting thing that we....welll...Elder Dickson might not have been as enthusiastic about it as I was but we went to the home of a part member family in the evening and we had a great time just chatting about normal things,, getting to know them and slipping in Little snickets of doctrine to the husband during the conversation. I won't say what the topic of conversation was but let's just say that it was super fun, funny and exhilarating to talk with someone of a similar mind set and theology to my own ideas of the unknown mysteries of this great world that God has given us. If you want to know what we discussed, email me hahahhahahahhaha lol

Sunday was a day that I wa once again grateful to my mission president for his direction and guidance. The branch president came up and asked if we could bear our testimonies and for some reason out of the blue I suggested that I could give a talk on any subject that he needed.....Still have no clue where this confidence and the words that I spoke came from but the Lord. He then assigned me only a matter of minutes before the meeting to give a talk on member missionary work. The biggest things that I used as an idea was what our reaction is when we find something that we enjoy and when we find somethings that we know other people could enjoy. I used the analogy of the Peters drive in back home which is a great milkshake shop and I look forward to having one again! hahahah YUM! Anyways, I am thankful that the Lord blessed me enough to know what to say. I know He is there. 

Well I must run! 

I hope that you all have a wonderful week full of learning and testimony building times as I have done. 

I love each of you

May god bless you and protect you this week!

Love 

Elder Dotschkat

Grace Horsley Darling was born on November 24, 1815 in her grandfather's cottage in Bamburgh. She was the seventh child of nine. At three weeks old she was taken to live on Brownsman Island where her father was a lighthouse keeper. In 1826 the family moved the new lighthouse on Longstone. A 4am on September 7, 1838 during a violent storm a steamship struck the Big Harcar rock and over 40 lives were lost. Grace saw the wreck and spotted surviros. Grace and her father launched their coble and rowed for nearly a mile to reach survivors. Grace soon became a national heroine. She died four years later from tuberculosis.

Bamburgh has over 2000 years of history. Its the ancient capital of Northumbria. Perched high on a whinstone outcrop, with spectacular views along the coast, Bamburgh Castle was a must see during my stay at Northumberland

A Baptism!

Hey Everyone!

So we had a great week!

Monday was our baking p-day with some great members here in Ashington! We made tacos, corned beef hash and CHEESECAKE!! It was delicious! Then we went and helped the member's daughter bring in her horses and I was holding the fence and I forgot that it was electric and ZAP! A current went right through me! hahahaha

Tuesday we returned to that member's home to help them paint and that was great! Busy and dirty but great. Then we got a call from a random member that we didn't know saying that they were a member and wanted to meet us so we were freaked out a bit but we finally found out that everything is all good.

Wednesday was a very spiritually filled day of administering to the sick and afflicted. I feel so privileged to bear the priesthood of God and to bless the lives of his children. The mormon message Sanctify Yourselves came to mind during much of the day. Here is the link to refresh your memory of what it talks about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hew-QARTo00

Thursday we knocked all day in the cold and the wind and even though we didn't teach anyone new people learned perseverance will bring unseen blessings.

Friday was a great day full of good advice. The main thing that I took from that day was stay close to the Lord and he will stay close to you. Blessing you more than you can even comprehend!

Saturday was Peter's baptism!!!! It was great to see another one of God's children and my friend take the step to returning to Him. I am so grateful to have been able to see this wonderful and devoted man take the big step towards his father in Heaven.

Sunday was a normal Sunday with more rain lol

So that's my week, sorry for the scarcity of words and explanations. I will put more the coming week because we had a great p-day today but you will just have to wait to find out what we did

Love
Elder Dotschkat

Cooking up a storm!

My Sunday best (he looks so awesome!)

So much to be grateful for

Hello Everybody!
Well this email is going to be short but is going to be meaningful.
I love my family. I love the Lord and I love my mission.

I am so grateful to the Lord at this point in my life for all of the experiences that have brought me here to become the man that I am today and the son of God that I am today. I thank him everyday for the trials and blessings in my life and for the people who have touched my heart so dearly whilst I was home and while I have been out here serving his children.

This past Monday was a wonderful time for me to see you all and be able to have some great laughs together and it has made me appreciate even more fully the blessings of the Gospel and the FACT that families can be together forever.

I have been studying the atonement a lot lately and have realized once again how indebted I am to my saviour for what he has done for me and I am also amazed at home much he truly loves each one of us. I know that he knows us individually and all that he requires and asks us of in response to His love is to love Him.

I love my Saviour and my elder brother Jesus Christ and all that he has offered to me and my family and I thank Him daily for it.

Thank you all for your care, your love and your support over this wonderful season of peace and goodwill on earth. Both my companion and I have appreciated feeling loved and cared for as we went out to serve God and His children.

On Wednesday we had a wonderful experience of being able to help a brother who was ill at the time with a priesthood blessing. I am grateful for the spirit and all that it directs us to do and how it helps us in this sacred work that I feel so privileged to be a part of. I know that God lives and has given his spirit to us to help us appreciate a personal connection that we can have with him.

New Years day made me appreciate rest and reminiscing upon the wonderful year that has now passed by. I know that because of the people that I have met, the trials that I have been through and reminiscing upon the wonderful year that has now by. I know that because of the people that I have met, the trials that I have been through and the blessings of God that are abundant in my life that I have become more determined to serve him to the end of my days. I love my Father in Heaven and I know that he loves all the children in existence.

Saturday was a wonderful day because we were blessed to have P pass his baptismal interview. I feel so privileged at this point in time to not only help Peter to come to Christ but to help myself and my companion come to Christ more. The beauty of the Gospel is that its for everyone and anyone who desires "pure joy" and happiness that comes from following Christ.

I thank you all for your support this past year gone and pray that God will bless you and your families in abundance this coming year!
Love you all!
Elder Dotschkat

Me making dinner on New Years