Study scriptures & they will speak to you

Well Hello there! Long time no see! haha 

Its me again (of course :P)

So this week I truly saw miracles and the hand of God in my life everyday. I feel that I have grown so much, not only in my testimony but as a man. I am grateful that the Lord has me go through hard things that make me grow. All you have to remember when you are going through the hard things are your testimony and that God loves and is there for you. 

Monday - That was a good day! We had p-day, I forget what we did :P But all I know is that we watched free willy because I was singing the Michael Jackson at the end all week and wanted to listen to it...Anyways though, we had a lesson at the chapel with Yasmin. She is our Muslim/Catholic/Church of England investigator :P Haha..Its very confusing but she is accepting everything and she and her son are preparing for Baptism on the 14! We are very postive that she will do it! Anyways, the most profound thing that stuck out to me is that miracles happen everyday. We just need to have faith and look for them. 

Tuesday - We had zone conference that day and we looked at D&C:4 in great depth. I understand the scriptures so much more and am grateful to have time to study them. If you set apart time to study your scriptures, they will speak to you and help you in your life. You just need to open them and let them speak to you. The most profound thing that came to my mind that day was that we all need to remember our testimonies and what we stand for in all places. 

Wednesday - So since I have gotten out Elder Richards and I have been praying to be busy all day with lessons and it finally happened! I loved it! We had lessons all day and the day went so fast! It was unreal to look at the time when we got into the flat in the evening and just think "where did the day go???". I know that the lord answers our prayers and he will comfort us. On Tuesday I wasn't feeling well and I was worried that something happened at home and in my personal study the scriptures comforted me. Let them speak to you. The ones that stuck out to me were, Mosiah 4:9, Isaiah 55: 8-9, DC 6:36. We need to trust the lord and he will bless us. Have faith in him.

Thursday we saw our friend who is returning to church. They love us now. So much so that they are willing to feed us as often as we need. It is wonderful to see a new flame and love for the church in him. We watched the Mormon Message, mountains to climb and testified of the atonement. I want you all to know that I have a testimony of the atonement. It is a truly wonderful power that God has given us. We can use it, no matter the trials that we are going through, Heavenly Father wants us to return to him. 

Friday we had a conference in York. We went on the train in the morning. It was an hour ride and then a half an hour walk but it was alright :) Anyways, while there they separated us into 3 different groups, The newly entered missionaries who are getting trained, the ones that came in the transfer before and then the trainers. I was in the second one. It was great to be able to talk with the AP and discuss how we can better missionaries. I feel very confident (not prideful though) that I  am becoming a better missionary everyday. After we went all together again and the most profound thing that day was brought to my mind by President Pilkington. It was me asking myself What can I do more for the Lord ? Why only come out here, leave my home, my family and those I love to do only 1/2 the effort. I want to give it everything that I got. I only have so many months, weeks, days , hours and moments left to serve the Lord. We must make the most of every moment. 

Saturday the most exciting thing was mormon.org time. I love watching the videos and feeling the spirit that they give. No matter where you are, you can feel it. Always strive to be worthy of the spirit, it is a gift from God. The one that was the most profound for me was the one called He will Give you help. I love this one (not only because its Canadian) but also because the story of how the boy used the atonment in his life. The most profound thing that stood out to me was that Heavenly Father never said that this life would be easy. He just told us that it would be worth it. Even though trials arise, trust in him and he will hold you up. I can feel him hold me up everyday, he loves all of us. He is there for all of us.  You just need to talk to him. 

Sunday t'was a good day. Church was nice, Elder Richards gave a talk. After church I was so hungry! I am losing weight though haha :P Anyways, we had 2 hours of study so in the end we had just 1 hour to work. We ended up seeing a member of the church and then going to a village. It was great. Brother O'Neil drove us out there and the young woman who is considering baptism is funny. Her name is Amelia and she is 12. The most profound thing that happened that day was that brother O'Neil gave me some advice . He said don't believe rumours about other people and that you decide what you belive. Also I realized that I want a Christ centered home in where the spirit can be felt every moment

Love you all

Elder Dotschkat

Six missionaries at a Pizza Hut buffet

Hello

Tis' me again!

I hope you all have had a great week because I have! It went pretty fast again and I realized that I am already done a quarter of the first year. Very odd for me. It does not feel like I have been out that long at all. But whatever because I am loving every minute of it!

So Monday was p-day and we didn't want to just watch a movie at the chapel again so we went to the all you can eat buffet of pizza hut and cleared them out:P Haha I bet they loved six missionaries eating all their food :) Haha. After that we went to the whaling museum. That was fun! I took some pictures! After we went to the chapel and watched Monsters Inc. and we wanted to listen to the Tarzan soundtrack so we watched the movie. anyways, the most profound thoughts that came to mind that day after reflection was we need to take time to enjoy life. Don't rush it because it it too short and we need to enjoy every moment with those that we love.

Tuesday - Was supposed to be a busy day but all of our plans fell through haha. Sometimes it makes me wish that people would just say no rather than lead us on. One thing that comes to mind though is something that President Pilkington says to us. That no words are wasted in the work of the lord. We looked at mormon.org that day. There are a few videos that I really liked :) But the main thing that stuck out to me was President Monson saying "Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price is too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings of the temple".

Wednesday - The main thing that was good about that day was district meeting. We talked about sacrifice and how we can become the best men that the Lord would have us be. It was great to be able to coordinate with the other missionaries and talk with them. There was a quote by John Taylor that said "sacrifice is the only surrender that is a victory". The most profound things that day were thoughts of what sacrifice is. Sacrifice is to give something up for something of greater worth. Also that God will answer our prayers. DC 112:10

Thursday - This week has just been a blur. I can't remember distinct days. So much so that in the evening after we had a member visit with the first councillors family, I looked up at the sky and realized how long I had been out. I was surprised that time was going so fast. I also realized that I am starting to love the work more each day! It is so fun just to be able to talk to everyone and listen to their funny stories.

Friday - Friday was a good day. Once again all of our plans fell through so the most exciting thing that day was going and seeing our less active who we are helping return to church. He and his mom have not been sealed as a family together and their goal is to have that within the next few years. One thing that stuck out to me was that we cannot let anyone fall through the cracks. We must pay attention to all of our members. We are family and children of god. We are all important.

Saturday - The two things that stuck out to me were in my personal study and at the end of the day. In my personal study I realized that I am very grateful to the Lord for my trials that I struggled with in my life. I know that sounds odd but I am. I am grateful for them because they have made me into the man I am today and will make me the man that I will be in eternity. I pondered on this thought all day. It made me very happy and hopeful for a better tomorrow:)

In the evening we were on our way home and as missionaries we talk to everyone and the last man that we talked to is super prepared. He wants to believe that there is a god who loves us and wants a bible that as not been corrupted. We told him about the Book of Mormon and we are meeting him on Wednesday.

Sunday- Sunday was alright, not many exciting things happened . But the most profound thought that happened was that we need to stop and enjoy the life that has been given to us.

Profound scriptures :
3Nephi 12 10-12

Mark 12 41-44

Matt 18 16-26

Hope you are well!

Elder Dotschkat

The work is the salvation of souls

Well Hello !

So this week was again another week and WOW did it ever go SO FAST! I am absolutely amazed and so surprised when I lay down in bed on Sunday night because I always ask myself where the time went. Anyway, this week there was so many things that happened!

So on Monday was Preparation day again. not really much was different, played basketball (I'm getting better at it because its the only sport we play :S) , watched a few movies...yeah...there was a member in Hull 1 that had a copy of Monsters University and it was great! But anyway, while that time was going I wrote some letters and relaxed :) after P-day in the evening I went on exchange with Elder Coombs FROM EDMONTON!!!! :D! It was great because I could actually talk to someone and have them able to relate! :D It was fun! The most profound thing that I learnt that day was no matter how far the distance, home is where your heart is and always will be :)

Tuesday was a pretty good feeling being senior companion and having some responsibility and so that day I felt that it was all up to me to make it run as smoothly as possible. There were a few bumps in the road during the day that I had to handle by myself and it was a learning experience. We had our most promising investigator (named John) drop us through text. It was a sad experience but we still wish him the best. During lunch we went to a less actives home that we helped to reactivate him and they fed us lunch! :D It was great! After that we had some time to spare so we went to see John in person and see how he was doing. That went alright but he still says that it isn't for him. I look at it like everyone has their agency and as I said we pray that he will have some experience that will make him want to meet with us again. After that we had a very busy day , so much so that we forgot to have dinner till 900. We had my favourite meal :) Donairs :) Or kebabs as they call them here. The most profound thing that I learned Tuesday was that the temple is the only place that I want to be married in . When we were talking to our reactivated member, we asked what his goals in life were and he said that he wanted to get married in the temple. It made me ponder on this subject all day and I came to the conclusion that I will only be married in the temple. I want that day to be as special and wonderful and I have dreamed it can be. The main reason that I will only be married there is because I want to have the person that I love the most in the world with me forever. I want to have my best friend always by my side through everything. I want to be able to support her and grow with her though everything and have not only a temple sealing but a celestial and happy marriage. I want to have my family forever because that is the only thing that will bring me the most happiness in my life.

Wednesday - GUESS WHAT!!! We got on a coach in the morning and went to a MISSION CONFERENCE ! It was so great! I learned so many things from Elder Rasband, Elder Teshiera and ELDER M RUSSELL BALLARD!!!! It was great to be able to listen to apostles and representatives of the lord. The thing that they stressed the most is member missionary work. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT THE WORK WILL MOVE FORWARD!!! GET ON IT!!! One thing that I found that stood out to me was that I am so grateful to be a member of this church and to be able to suffer things for my saviour. I have learnt truly how much he loves us and is proud of us when we make the right decisions. I promise everyone that makes their decisions with the lord in mind can never go wrong and will be blessed for choosing right. The rest of the night we travelled back and didn't even get into the flat till 1030 :P I was beat! The most profound thing that I learnt that day was that the Lord trusts us to make the right decisions so we need to trust him.

Thursday - That day was interesting because we were unable to plan anything for the day so we essentially flew by the seat of our pants. We did missionary work, don't get me wrong , but it was kind of ...not really planned :P I guess the most exciting things were lunch, when I created food :P I wanted burgers but we had no meat so I used corned beef :P Haha it was tasty enough :P DON'T WORRY I AM SURVIVING! And the next most exciting thing was our mormon.org hour! I love watching these uplifting videos! They are truly inspired! The 3 main ones that I liked that day were 1- Mountains to Climb 2 Testimony of the Book of Mormon and 3 The infinite power of hope :) Please watch these :) I share these quotes, scriptures and videos so that you can all enjoy and experience my life as well :) Anyway, the most profound thing that day was a quote, " If the foundation of faith is not embedded into our hearts, the power to endure will crumble" .

Friday - IT WAS MY COMPANIONS HUMP DAY! He has been out a year now :) It was pretty good :) We bought cake :) Anyway, the most exciting part of that day was how 1- he has been out a year now and time is flying by for me as well! And 2- We gave a chapel tour to 2 teenage boys and scheduled them for baptism!!! WOO! That evening the Barber Family fed us again and we had chicken fajitas :) They were tasty :) The most profound thing on Friday was that time goes fast so we need to make the most of it and love those around us as much as we can. Also when we test god with faith, he will always follow through on miracles and blessings!

Saturday - It was a pretty good day! We got flogged a lot :P This just means that people don't show up to lessons that we set up with them :P I say it was a good day because no matter what happened my attitude never got down . The 2 lessons that actually came to fruition was a chapel tour where we scheduled this lady for baptism!!! :D and another lesson with our reactive member friend. We talked with him and saw that he had a rough week because he gave into his temptations and it made me think a lot. He was so happy on Sunday and Tuesday but when we met him he was depressed again. Just one split moment of bad decision can tear us up inside. So the most profound thing that I learnt that day was to stay away from things that can even lead you to temptation.

Sunday - It was a good day! Pretty nerve racking I must say because I taught Gospel Principals class but other than that it was good. In joint P/R meeting we had the 2nd counsellors brother in law come and give a presentation on the RBL ( Royal British Legion). It was good to see that people here have a lot of support for the troops. I love that fact about Britian. While he was talking about the conflicts of war and the losses it made me think a lot of my own life. I never discounted the military as an option and still don't but I realized that I do not want to put my those people like my friends, my family and my future family through loss. I will serve my country and give my life for my family and my friends if I must to protect them and their freedoms, but I do not want to voluntarily put my future wife, children and family through loss of my life. Its not that I will not serve in the military , but I want to spend my life with those I love. In GP class I taught the lesson on temples and FH and it was...good :) The most profound thing that stood out to me during that class was that its not always about marrying the right person, rather being the right person. Any 2 worthy LDS people can marry for eternity and get through life together and nurture their love for one another every day. It is about working through difficulties in life together and making selfless sacrifices for those you love.

As you can tell, This week was great! I am loving every moment of my mission and being the most effective missionary I can be. This work is the salvation of souls and there is no other work more important than this.

I know that Heavenly Father is watching over each and everyone of you and that is what brings me the most joy. You all are in my prayers. I love you all.

Have a great week

Sincerely,

Elder Dotschkat

We took a little trip to the Mariners Museum. Around 200 years ago Hull's whaling industry was at its peak. It was the largest whaling fleet in Britain. Whaling is now controversial and considered unnecessary. During Hull's whaling industry the products of whaling were considered crucial for Britain. Whale oil from blubber was used for lighting, for the preparation of leather and cloth, for making paints and oiling machinery. 

If you love something let it go ...

Well hello again! Wow! This week went so fast!!!!

So we had a great week just full of answers to prayers! I hope that you all are seeing the lords hand in your lives as much as I am because its wonderful when we realize how much the lord loves us and how much he blesses us when we are obedient! Anyways, here are the updates! 

Monday- It was P-day Not really much happened, we just wrote emails in the morning and then went to the Hull 1 stake center for the rest of the day! While we were there we played football (soccer sounds vulgar now :P) and watched a few movies. After p-day we went back to our area and had fun trying to find people. All I can say is that the move of member missionary work needs to move forward because it is MUCH more successful than just knocking :P

The most  profound thing that stood out to me that day was that even though there are no numbers, success comes in you attitude towards your work and how much you enjoy doing it. 

Tuesday- That day was VERY BUSY! We had a chapel tour and then went and saw a less active man. We have seen miracles of growth and determination with him! I feel priveledged to be able to help these people return to church and help them receive greater happieness in their lives :) Later in the day we had tea at a members home and the wife served a mission in CALGARY!!!!!!! She brought out her photo albums and there was a picture taken from the top of COP and it was...well...it made me very happy but weirded out at the same time to see where my house, the stake center, my friends houses and the temple are now. It made me smile very much none the less. It made me think of all of you and I just wanted to say Thank you. Thank you for all of your support and your love for me over the years and helping me reach this important life changing point. I can see myself growing into the man that I know I can and want to be each and everyday. The most profound thing that day that I learned was that we all need the atonement because without the atonement we cannot become the people that we are meant to be and achieve our full potential. 

Wednesday was probably my favourite day this week. In the morning we had a wonderful and revelatory district meeting in which I learned many things about who I was, who I am and who I want to become. I have set challeneges for myself so that I can grow into my full potential and nothing will get in the way of what I want. I am determined to get what I want or die trying (haha, I know it sounds a little dramatic but that it how I feel about my goals and desires for life. NOTHING WILL STOP ME! )

After that we went to lunch at this Polish resturant and it was fantastic! I love the food here and I think that I am losing weight! Or I hope so haha :P In the afternoon we went and saw one of our investigators who is almost ready for baptism in the near future! I wil send pictures when it happens :) We also went out to a little village in the evening! I love these little villages because we find out many great things! Like there are many lakes arounf to go fishing on pday!!!! IM SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!! :D Anyways though...back to missionary work right! :P The most profound thing that day was that I feel honoured to be a member of this church, to have the preisthood and to suffer things for the name my savior. I feel his love and support for me when times get hard and I know that with him we can do anything :) 

Well Thursday was pretty good! We had normal work in which we met four potential investigators! It was fantastic! Also we got to take our hour of www.mormon.org time ! I would highly reccomend wathching the videos of Jeremy Dick and "We Lived with God", They were the ones that stood out to me the most :) I am very grateful for these tools that we can use as missionaries because it helps people to see that we are "normal"...well...as normal as we can be :) Its okay to be different as long as you accept and love who you are :) The most profound thing that day was that you need patience and love for those around you, even when they get on your nerves, NEVER STOP LOVING THEM! :) 

Friday we went out to my favourite village! Heden! It was great! It was a great day full of boning for Elder Richards and I . We talked about missionary work, what we did in highschool and what we are going to do when we get home  (he has a year and I have a little more than that :P ) haha. It was great! I can truly feel that our compaionship needed that. All I can say is that if you have an issue, discuss it with the person, say how you are feeling and try your hardest to forgive them and get over it because there is no reason to be upset, life is too short. The most profound thing that day was even though it may be hard, be happy and enjoy life. No matter what, it will all turn out for the best! :)

Saturday was a pretty good day :) I just want to say that I love my mission no matter what situations that I am in! I went on an exchange in the morning with an Elder Pew. He is a great Elder and will do fantastic things in his mission! We talked to everyone that we could find and really tried to learn things from one another in how we approach missionary work. He has only been out 1 more transfer more than me but it really shows, I know that because I will work hard Heavenly Father will bless me to reach my potential. In the afternoon we had to study because I'm still "new" but it was great being able to see the blessings of our diligence later that day! We had tea at the Oneils and watched BYU Top 50 Football Plays and that was GREAT!  I love it and can't wait to play either that or rugby later in life :) In the evening we again saw our less active friend and commited him to church! It was a great lesson truly guided by the spirit, I have never felt it this strong on my mission yet! It was great! After that as we headed home, you know how I talked about miracles right?!, We met this single mother and her two daughters and taught them lesson one!!! They are intersted in learning more and soooo excited to teach them! I love this ! Most profound thing I learnt that day was that God will answer our prayers as long as we are diligent, faithful and obedient! :)

Sunday was a good day. In the morning in my study I found a verse that I really liked. It is the first part of Alma 41:15. Its message is wonderful because it is one that I have truly seen in my life. The general statment is that, If you love something, let it go. If it loves you, it will return :) This is something that I love about life because I know that Heavenly Father will always bring back to us those people that are most important to us :) At church again we got a lot of food to stock our cupboards from the members. We had a fantastic lesson on the Law of Chastity. It is so important to obey and follow this law. I cannot stress it enough other than to say that Gods power is in our hands and we need to honour it and use it wisely. The most profound thing that I learnt that day was the message of that verse. I love it. 

Well my time is up ! 

May God watch over you and protect you till the next time we speak

Until then Goodbye

Love you all, 

Elder Dotschkat

Baptisms - Love it!

Well Hello Again! 

Its me! Elder Dotschkat!

I hope you all have had a great week and were able to see Heavenly Fathers hand in your lives because I have truly seen it in mine :) 

So I told you all about how transefers went but now I can tell you about the Elders living with us! 

Elder Vickery is a zone leader, he has been out for 18 months nearly, from Utah (or the factory as the missionaries call it :P) and is very obedient.

Elder Randall - he is zone leader, out for 15 months, again from Utah ( do you see a pattern :P) and is quiet. 

Elder Admunson - he is a district leader, he is out 9 months, for Norway! ( that's different :P) and is very funny! He jokes around a lot. He is living with us and on a 3 companionship because he is waiting for his new missionary to come from utah on Wednesday ( his companion will be speaking CHINESE!!!) 

For the first few days of living with them it was weird because I was very comfortable with Elder Putnam (now an AP) and Elder Griffiths (who is now home in Utah).  So last night I made a decision that I have to open up to get them to open up. I have been making sure that the flat stays pretty clean so last night I just asked Elder Admunson to help with dishes, we talked and got to know each other and then we all wrestled ! Haha! I took all 3 of them on and won! Haha Anyways! Oh and a nerf gun war this morning :P But anyways... Back to missionary stuff right!?

Tuesday night we had a baptism of a 6'9'' GIANT! His name is Craig and his afro repels the water! It was another great time to see another person enter the waters of Baptism :) He will be a really strong member of the church and an asset to the ward.

After that we went out to a village named...uh..Patchington? I think. Anyways, because Elder Griffiths and Putnam are gone we are taking over their investigators and so we went out to meet one. Her name is amelia, she is about 12 and really funny! She is also very good at art and loves to come to church. Her family are members and she wants to get baptised in her own time and not to be forced :) So her family is letting her decide and we are pretty sure that she wants to be baptised by the end of August :) We will see what happens! 

Wednesday - Transfer day! I ran the area that day because Elder Richards had to go to Leeds for District leader training and so there was only me, Elder Pew (from Texas) and Elder Tooeta Saleifi (from western Samoa) in the zone left! We had a wonderful day of finding and as we were tracting we got let into a mans home! Its so great to see how Heavenly Father prepares his children for the message because Elder Richards and I scheduled him for baptism on thursday for the 17th of August! That was the highlight of my day :) The most profound thing that I learned that day was to follow the promptings that I receive and to be patient because the people that are ready for this wonderful message are out there and heavenly father will put them in our paths :) 

Thursday - That was a great day full of member missionary work! Elder Richards and I went to members homes and they are ready and wanting to help the missionaries out here, they just don't know how.  So it is our job to teach the members that there are opportunities all around, to pray for opportunities to share testimony and show them that it is easy because the worst thing that someone could say is no. So anyways, in the afternoon Elder Richards and I scheduled Jim for baptism! I am so excited! He is about 62 and was a cook on a military ship for a long time! There are a lot of navy officers in Hull. Anyways, the most profound thing I leanrt that day was that I need to be patient and have faith because the lord will bless us with our hearts desires :) 

Friday - Weekly planning all morning and Elder Richards and this week was a lot better! I feel very strong that we will be able to acheive our goals! Just need to have faith right ? Anyways, we had a very busy afternoon :) We had another lesson with Jim, got him to read his Book of Mormon and pray outloud for the first time ever!!! I am so happy that I get to teach people how to pray and to talk to their heavenly father because it is wonderful to see the connection that they make. I especially love to teach children how to pray! It is so great to hear these little people talk to their Father in heaven :) It makes me truly excited to be a father in the future so that I can teach my children to pray :) Remember, prayer is the most important communincation that we can make daily because heavenly father knows us and what we are going through and need :)

Saturday - Twas a good day again! We were at the chapel all day because we are giving people chapel tours so often! I love it because everyone can recognize the feelings that they have there and they can be very powerful lessons! They have been the most pwerful lessons sometimes because we invite people to be baptised infront of the font and the spirit always talks to them there! 

For lunch we had pork pies!!! All it is is straight up pork meat !!!! I LOVED IT!!! Till the last bite :P It then tasted pretty weird :P Hahaha. They are really cheap and filling so now I have 3 favorite foods here! - DONNEIRS!!!! INDIAN FOOD!!! AND PORK PIES!!!! :D hahaha was a great day! 

Sunday- was the Sabbath day again and I love the gospel principals lessons because they are about eternal families :) I love these lessons because I know that I can have my family forever :) This knowledge has truly blessed my life and we offer it to the world because everyone deserves to be with who they love forever :) Sometimes it may be difficult and you may argue or disagree but the things that are worth the most in life take time and effort :) 

I hope that you all have a great week ! 

Elder Dotschkat

Enjoying Pork Pie - yummy!

I'm staying in Hull but I've got a new companion!

Well Hello Again Everyone!

Sorry I didn't tell you that P-Day would be Tuesday cause it was transfers yesterday :) Im staying here in Hull, my companion (Elder Richards)  is now district leader my one zone leader (Elder Griffiths)  is done his mission and going home to Utah and the other zone leader that we lived with us (Elder Putnam) is Assistant to the President now! I feel honored to be able to be taught and to live with these men.

Anyways this past week to be honest was well....more difficult than the other ones have been but I have been able to see Heavenly Fathers tender mercies every day :)

Monday was p-day and it was alright. I wrote letters home the 3 hours that I had and hope that they all will make it to where they are supposed to be in time :) Everyone else had a nerf war and watched Megamind but I wasn't bothered because I wanted to do my own thing :) Anyways, after that we went and tried to find our investigator because he moved, but it was to no avail. I don't know if I have ever prayed so hard in my life to find someone. This message is just so important and everyone should have the opportunity to hear it! MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK!!! That is the way that this work is moving forward.

Tuesday was alright. Our hours were all accounted for because of study and ward coordination. The best part of my day was when we took our hour that we get each week to look up on mormon.org things for our investigators :) I love the mormon messages. The most profound thing that happened that day was how much I truly learnt and felt the spirit whilst watching those inspiring videos. I watched ones on the spirit and ones on the temple  :) If there is anything I could tell everyone, ATTEND THE TEMPLE OFTEN!!!! It is such a wonderful place to even be on the grounds but the work and blessings within theirs walls are truly eternal :)

Wednesday we had Zone training and it was great! We were instructed on obedience and how apply the scriptures more in our lives. There are so many examples of obedience in the scriptures, the one that we were instructed on was the 2000 Sons of Helaman. They performed with exact obedience and they were blessed because they remembered and followed the teachings of their parents. The thing that stuck out to me that day was how grateful I am for the things that I have been taught by my leaders, friends, family and parents. I just want to thank you all because without you, I would not be on my mission . Thank you for helping me become the man I am today.

Thursday we went to the small town of Heden again. Its a village and right in the center there is this GIANT AND OMINOUS church. Anyways, we had some investigators feed us dinner (they are the other sets investigators) and I was so full! It was uncomfortable but worth it haha... :P Umm....after dinner Elder Richards and I went to the house of a friend of a member of the church and tried to plant some spiritual seeds. I know that if not Elder Richards and I see them grow that other missionaries will and they will be able to harvest them :)

Friday was sooooo hot! I think because of the heat wave in the past 2 weeks that my sweat glands are broken because I can't really sweat anymore haha :P Anyways, Elder Richard decided to go and walk with our shovels and knock on peoples doors and ask if we could help them. The first door we knocked let us in! Woohoo! It was great ! She was a nice lady and she just showed us where the garden was and set go for it! The most profound thing that was important to me that day was how our Heavenly Father blesses his children. I am so grateful for the priesthood that I hold and feel so honored to be able to do so.

Saturday was alright :) It was really hot again :P haha. Anyways, we tracted all day until dinner and ate at the O'Neils again :) They have BYU tv with all the Mormon Messages and guess what we did! I absolutely love them ! They uplift me so much! After dinner the Zone leaders had a baptism of a very....eccentric lady :) She is really nice and her name is pauline :) It was great to be able to see another person enter into the waters of baptism :) I was thinking about my own and still can remember the talks that we given at mine :) The blessings of baptism are more abundant than we realize and I think that if we truly knew them all that we would be humbled because our Heavenly Father just wants to give us gifts. The most profound thing that I realized that day is the joy that occurs within your heart when you see someone being baptized:)

Sunday was great! Elder Richards and I taught a 8 year olds primary class about Ammon :) Such a great and powerful missionary!!! Its amazing what God can do with his missionaries when they are obedient to him! Just fantastic! Anyways, after we had a lesson on eternal families:) I love these lessons about eternal families because it always puts into perspective for me the type of man, husband and father I want to be. It also helps me realize my potential and how greatly the lord blesses families that are raised in righteousness. I know what I want and nothing will stop me from having my Eternal Family. I am going to grow and be the best man that I can be and work as hard as I can to achieve my potential. I love my Heavenly Father. In Sacrament meeting we had a talk from the Stake President on being all in and how we have to decide on what we want and what side we are on before trials and temptations come. I have learned so much on my mission and am learning more everyday!

Monday we had a great district meeting. We practiced how to street contact and how to have effective contacts. There are so many things that I am learning and I am striving to remember them all! I think that memorizing a scripture a day will help :) After we went to this Indian buffet and it was sooooooooo good! I had spicy things! It made my eyes water and my nose run a little ! Hahaha it was great though! After that Elder Richards and I went and taught some less actives and we are helping them get back to church. All I will say is that we need to love our neighbors and care for the people around us who seem left out or hurting. They are children of our Heavenly Father and deserve to be loved as well. My heart goes out to these people and they need our support and help!

In the evening Elder Richards and I had to study because I'm a newish missionary still in training. I can't believe that it has already been 6 weeks!!! CAN YOU!? The time is going fast and I am loving every minute of it!

Thank you all who have sent me letters and packages :) They mean the world to me :) Especially ones with pictures because to see you smile makes me smile :)

I hope and pray that you all are well, everyone of you is in my prayers and may Heavenly Father bless and protect you in this coming week!

Sincerely with Love,

Elder Zachary Lee Dotschkat

The miracle of the lost keys

Well hello again everyone ! :) The week has just flown by so fast!

It was a fairly exciting and nerve racking week for me :) Especially at the beginning because we went on exchange and I took over the area!  Woot!  Such a fun and amazing experience, anyways I will go through my week day by day :)

Monday- PDAY!!! WE GOT HAIR CUTS!!!! It was so cheap! Just £5!  Anyways after that we had really good sandwiches and then we went to the senior couples house (the Olsons, they are leaving in like 3 weeks to home). We watched Despicable Me but I just drew pictures and wrote letters all day :) That was great because I was just able to try and increase my talents :) I have realized that Heavenly Father has given us so much potential and we just have to become who we are supposed to be and develop our talents :)  Anyways, after pday Elder Kruse and I went back into our zone and I had to say a fervent prayer to Heavenly Father because well.....I LOST THE KEYS TO THE FLAT! :( But I immediately saw a miracle. The other elders called and told us that they had them! This just solidified my testimony that Heavenly Father hears and will answer our prayers when we ask in faith :) So that was the most exciting thing that happened that day :) 

Tuesday - This was my first real day of running the area and it did not start off as well as I hoped because ... we got lost :S oops haha. But whatever because Elder Kruse is just one transfer older than me so he has the same experience  :P Anyways we ended up finding out where we were and we went to an less active mans home. He was baptised as a boy but left the church when he was 12.  He is over 50 now and we are going to teach him like a new investigator because he remembers nothing. After that lesson we went to potentials house. She agreed with everything that we were saying and she wanted to learn more the week before and so we set up a lesson with her for tuesday. She wasn't home so we went and did our back-up plan. MIRACLES HAPPEN!  I know that Heavenly Father guided Elder Kruse and I because we were supposed to see this one member woman but her less active son was the only one home. The spirit truly guided that lesson in what we said and did because through talking with him he told us that he has had severe depression since high school and was ready to ''give up'' the second before we came to the door. Elder Kruse and I gave him a blessing and after that blessing I felt enlightened. My mind felt empowered and my thoughts clear. I loved that feeling. I love and feel honoured that I am able to hold the preisthood and love when I can be a part of heavenly fathers blessings for his children. After that we had a lesson with a man named David that we have scheduled for baptism and we couldn't get any members out so we had faith that the Lord would provide and when we went to the church we saw that there was members there! I know that Heavenly Father blesses us and I feel so underserving sometimes but I am grateful for every one of them. After that lesson we had Tea (dinner) with the bishops family and guess what! We gave him a blessing too because he has been extremeley ill. I am grateful and love the priesthood blessings that we can give to people because the windows of heaven open up to us and we then understand what God has in store for his children :)

Tuesday was a truly remarkable day. 

Wednesday - The most remarkable things that happened Wednesday were in the evening after we had district meeting :) I know that our leaders are inspired of God because member missionary work is the way that this church is moving forward. This is the only way that everyone will be able to partake in the marvelous blessings that Heavenly Father has instore fo us. We had 2 appointments with some sisters in the ward and found out that they have about 12 friends all together that are interested and looking for the gospel :) Hopefully they progress into investigators :) I will keep you all posted :) 

Thursday - This was a pretty good day ....well kinda...we felt stuck that day because all of our appointments and lessons fell through so by 6:00 we had done all of our back up plans. That day I learnt how grateful I am for back up plans and that to be able to have the spirit with you, you sometimes just need to take time to gather yourself and get back to work :) 

Patience is a wonderful thing and the blessings of heaven are truly invoked upon the servants of god when the are trying their best :) 

Friday - We went to a little village! It was great! We didn't really meet anyone but I had my first real curry!  It was so hot that my eyes were watering and my nose was running :P haha That was a great day :) OH! I am so grateful for the restoration of the gospel because I have realized how frightened I would be without this. As you enter the town there is this large and ominous church and it was old, scary but very architecturally designed nicely - kinda. Just look it up - St Agustine's church in Heden.  Anyways, after that we went back and met another investigator and found this funny bus sign! (SEE PICTURE) can anyone tell me where this saying is from? haha

Saturday - It was a good day. We did service for a lady all morning and she was amazed that we gave up so much to share the gospel. I told her that I wouldn't leave everything I know and the people that I love and that matter most to me unless I knew without a doubt that this was true. She felt the spirit and has invitied us back to do more yardwork :) After that nothing really happened, we had tea at the O'Neils and then went home.

Sunday - Such a great day! I loved the lessons in church and mad a few decisions of who I wanted to be and how I would acheive the man that I am going to be later. I know the type of supporting and loving husband and father that I want to be and I know that there are many great and wonderful examples that I have had in my life. To all the men that have influenced me and helped me become the man I am today, thank you for being who you are and the examples that you have been to me. To all the women in my life, thank you for being you and supporting me in my decision to serve and supporting these wonderful men. Thank you for being you :)

have a great week !

Sincerely with love , 

Elder Dotschkat