Email #19

   So after last week's little e-mail fiasco, I'm going to try sending my e-mails from now on with the pictures attached in a separate e-mail. Sorry about the confusion!

   Good news - I don't feel sick anymore! I can't even remember if I mentioned it in my last e-mail, but I was feeling pretty crummy last preparation day when I was writing my e-mail. But by the following morning, I felt completely fine - Thank heavens. 

   I truly feel so blessed to be here serving in Fresno itself in the Pioneer Park ward. I can't even describe to you how much I love the members in this ward. From the old-dead Hmong ladies all the way down to the insane screaming Hmong kids, I really just feel so blessed to be here serving with these people. I know this sounds super-cliche, but this really is the best call to serve. 

   One fun thing we've been doing this week is what I've deemed 'Investigator Hunting.' I don't know if you remember the story from a couple weeks ago about how Elder Allen and I found the lady cooking meat outside her apartment. Anyways, we have literally been borderline stalking her trying to figure out which apartment she actually lives in because she and her husband are really interested in coming. It's kind of frustrating, but I know that if we continue to be diligent the Lord will help us be able to find their family. 

   This last week we finally found what I would like to think is my first 'golden' investigator. Elder Allen and I were trying to contact a former-investigator and met her little brother Kong, who is 20 years-old and is really interested in learning more about the restoration! I know I've said this a lot, but it really just blows my mind away when I see how the Lord is preparing people for us missionaries to go out and find! I'll keep you updated on how he is progressing. 

  Speaking of 'keeping you updated,' here are some updates on the past people I said I would let you know about...

• Miracle Cooking-Meat-In-Front-Of-Her-Apartment-Complex lady - Still on the hunt to have a real lesson with her.
• Lu, aka the lady who was referred to us and we thought had a lot of potential and committed her to be baptized - she decided that she just wants to go to the church by her house instead of continuing to learn more. Kind of a bummer, but maybe future missionaries will be able to get to her. For now we're giving her time. 
• Ze, aka the lady who we met during a dinner appointment and gave a church tour to and seemed really interested in joining - we've been having a really hard time even getting into contact with her. Hopefully we'll be able to meet with her soon!

   I never thought I'd say this, but the member's always feeding us missionaries is starting to become a problem. This last Thursday our dinner appointment cancelled, so Elder Allen and I ran through the Wendy's drive through (Shout-out Thank You to Momma for the gift card), then show up to our next appointment who "on a whim" cooked us this insane Thanksgiving Dinner...... I don't think that I've ever eaten so much in my life. 

   This week was fast and testimony and meeting because of conference next weekend (WHOO!), and I tried to translate in sacrament meeting again.... which unfortunately didn't work so well because everyone that bore their testimonies were either old Hmong woman who I literally couldn't understand a single word, or people who spoke around 87343 miles per hour. Translating is actually my favorite thing to do, just it's kind of awkward when a lady is going crazy at the pulpit bearing her testimony in a language that I really don't think is Hmong, your supposed to be translating but not saying a word in the headset transmitter, and all the English-speakers in the audience are just staring at you waiting for you to say something...... Welcome to every week in the Pioneer Park Hmong ward :)

  I've got to go now, but I love you all so much! You are in my prayers, and please pray for the poeple here in Fresno that they will continue to be prepared by the Lord and Elder Allen and myself will be able to find them! I LOVE YOU!

- Tub Txib Tshaj Lug Vwj / 

   Elder Matthew Doane

Email #18

Soooo I just figured out the e-mail from last week didn't send through for some reason, so here is the first one from last week and I'm typing this week's right now! And I had to take the pictures off too for some reason :( I'll try attaching them in a separate e-mail. 

KUV... HLUB... NEJ!!!        { I... Love... You!!! }

Highlights from this week...

• As you can see in the lovely attached picture, we had dinner at a super-Hmong sister's house for dinner the other night. And unfortunately, she ran out of plates so all the meat was placed on a Frisbee... funny thing is that we're pretty sure she really thinks the Frisbee is a plate - It was so funny!
• Speaking of crazy food experiences, guess what animal I ate the other night - A Bear! Some members surprised Elder Allen and I with dinner when we came to teach them and sure enough, we had bear! It was actually really good. I kinda-thought eating bear was illegal or something, but I guess not... :)
• This last Wednesday Elder Allen and myself were, for no reason known to me, chosen to help with the incoming new missionaries! It was so weird because I've literally only been here for one transfer (6 weeks) so it was weird to already be helping with new missionaries because it literally feels like that was me yesterday. Anyways, we each took out a missionary on 'Open-your-mouth', which is basically we each take the missionaries out to a specific area and go tract and talk to everyone we see to get the 'jitters' and hesitancy to talk out of the new missionaries. I don't know if you remember one of my first e-mails out here, when I went out on 'open-your-mouth' it was when I saw that little girl get hit by the car.... so freaky...... anyways, it was so interesting because what ended up happening was Elder Ennis and myself tracted into a minister for another church and it basically turned into him wanting to bible bash. He made lots of sense logically, but it was so painfully obvious that there was ZERO spirit there as we talked about our varying beliefs. It really just made me so much more grateful for what we had. It really stood in stark contrast to...
• Elder Allen and I had a GREAT lesson this week with two recent convert sisters. They are amazing. Straight up. The lesson we taught was about how the Lord is preparing people in their lives right now to learn about the gospel and the Spirit was sostrong, especially as they bore testimony of how they had felt the Holy Ghost during their conversion and continue to want to feel it more fully in their lives. It was somewhat of an epiphany of me to compare these two experiences and just realize how true the gospel is. 
• This week has been filled with the most AMAZING sunsets! About once a month we drive out to Madera (about a 45 minute drive from Fresno) to visit some members out there, and it is awesome just to drive through the country side and soak up the California sun. I LOVE BEING IN THIS MISSION!
• Another unexpected perk of being in this mission is that I get to play the piano in primary about every other week. I included a picture because it shows my nice part really well. Did I tell you that we're required to have parts in this mission? Anyways, I think I've been pulled into playing for the primary program... I LOVE BEING IN THIS MISSION! (take ii)
• In last week's e-mail I mentioned that I was going to a baptism that night for our neighbor - It was such an INCREDIBLE experience. I honestly can't think of many situations that i have felt the Spirit stronger. Elder Allen and I got to be the witnesses and help in giving him the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and I'm honestly just grateful to be here in Fresno just to witness these miracles unfold before me.

To be honest, this week has been hard because our teaching pool has been dropping, but I KNOW there are Hmong people here in Fresno that are being prepared for ME to share the gospel with. I love being a missionary. I love you all so much. You drive me to be a better representative of the Lord and to make you proud of the man I am becoming. Continue to pray for me, but more importantly for the people being prepared for me to teach, and I'll continue to pray for you!

Sib Ntsib Dua!

- Hlub,      ( Love, )

  Tub Txib Tshaj Lug Vwj       ( Elder Matthew David Doane)

I always feel like I'm leaving out so much when I send these.... Anyways, Until Next Week!

Email #17

I'm pretty sure you're all tired of reading that I had the best week ever, but this past week really has been amazing and the most spiritual week of my life. 

A couple of days ago our zone had the opportunity to have personal one-on-one interviews with President Gelwix. I really do love him so much. Sometimes I just can't believe that I'm now best friends with President Larry Gelwix. It's so spiritually empowering when we have the chance to talk just the two of us, and really gets me motivated to get out there in the blazing sun and find those the Lord is preparing to recieve the gospel.

Our teaching pool recently has gotten a lot smaller, so finding has been something that Elder Allen and myself have really been focusing on. It's ironic how even though we'll have days where literally no one answers their door to us and nobody is home that we wanted to visit, we still come home at the end of the day completely satisfied because we know we gave our greatest effort to follow the will of the Lord. I know that as we continue to give it our all we'll find those who have been prepared. 

Elder Allen really is the bomb. By far one of the most genuinely nice people I will ever know. And it freaks me out because we really had 62984278 mutual friends back in our high school days but somehow didn't know who each other were. 

I know I probably shouldn't say this, considering I've only been out a couple months, but I'm SO excited for after my mission to take all you out to go eat Pho (pronounced Fu). It's a Vietnamese meat-broth soup that the Hmong have made into their own special dish and they love  to eat. I think I literally ate it 5 times in the last week. And the weird thing is, I don't like eating food now that isn't spicy! I never though I would say that!

Tonight Elder Allen and myself are actually going to a baptismal service for our neighbor that is being baptized! It's exciting because even though it's not our  baptism, it's the first one I'm going to since being out here on a mission! It's been amazing the see how the Lord had prepared him to receive the Gospel and see the faith that he has to follow Christ. 

Something else really awesome that happened this last week was some members in the ward Elder Allen and I have recently been visiting a lot went through the temple and were sealed as family! It's awesome to see that happen because that really is the eventual direction we want all of our investigators to go - to receive all the blessings available of the Atonement through the temple of the Lord. 

Sorry that this is somewhat short and sporadic - today has been hectic in running around and trying to get things done. What else is new? :) But I really do LOVE you so much and pray for you continually every day. 

Sib Ntsib Dua!

- Tub Txib Tshaj Lug Vwj / 
  Elder Matthew David Doane

+ P.S. - THANK YOU so much for the box the other day! Bah I really can't even tell you how much I appreciate it. And Morgan, I'm writing a response to your slightly offensive letter right now as we speak, so EXPECT it.

Email #16

Nyob Zoo! I love you guys so much! Happy September 11th! - "We will never forget." {Elder Burdick just said that to me}

This week has been the usual - amazing! To be honest it hasn't been the hottest week as far as results go - lots of dropped appointments and such. I actually had my first investigator drop me a couple days ago. Not going to lie, that was kinda rough, but this week has still been great! 

Yesterday our mission had a zone conference with Elder and Sister Golden from the quorum of the 70 - IT WAS SO COOL! I don't think I've ever had the Spirit talk to me so directly with so many specific questions I had. It was actually kind of stressful because I had to play all the music and help with the musical number, but all the songs went over well! It's weird because I'm theonly missionary in all of Fresno that can play the piano, so I get to play all the time! It is awesome, all that time practicing at the church before I left really has paid off. 

I think one of the coolest experiences I have had so far are giving lessons to recent converts of the church. We've given a couple this last week, and it really just reaffirms my own testimony when I hear these new converts talking about how the gospel, which is brand new in their lives, is already blessing them so much. 

Something that I've been studying this week that has been really meaningful is what faith truly is and trying to more fully apply it in my missionary work. A verse I read that I particularly like is in Alma 5:12 when it says "And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in the his heart." When we have faith in Jesus Christ and act on it, meaning we trust in him and his promises He has made us, the result is that our hearts are able to be aligned with our Heavenly Father's. And that through doing we are able to have a greater happiness that we have ever attained through our own efforts.  

I really do love being a missionary. Seeing the change wrought because of the gospel, not only in the lives of those we're teaching but also in our own lives, really makes all the hard work worth it. I love you so all so much and preay that you are all doing well. I know that the Lord is watching over you because He has confirmed it to me through the Spirit. Until next week... SIB NTSIB DUA!

- Yours Truly,
  Elder Matthew David Doane / 

  Tub Txib Tshaj Lug Vwj

P.S. - I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR THAT LEXI IS GOING TO DETROIT! And, speaking of, here's something I forgot to tell you guys that is semi-important... so it turns out apparently that all the Hmong Elders in this mission get a 3-week extension meaning Lexi and I are literally BOTH getting off our missions the same day!!! 

P.S.S. - I'm officially becoming Hmong because I'm starting to crave spicy food now... I never though those words would come out of my mouth. 

These pictures goes with email #15

Email #15

Nyob Zoo Kuv Tsev Neeg thiab Cov Phooj Ywg! Kuv Hlub Nej tiag tiag!

{Hello Family and Friends! I Love You So Much!}

   Hey! This past week has been both grievously exhausting and blatantly miraculous! Definitely a week that I will ever forget.

   This week was tough in that it was a lot people cancelling appointments, unopened doors (despite people talking literally right on the other side), and making eye contact with people through the window only for them not to open the door for you. Missionary work never is easy, but it is completely worth every effort. After this somewhat dismal week, we were struggling on Sunday night to figure out what we should do. We randomly decided to visit a less-active member, which at the time seemed completely illogical because they usually aren't available at that time, it was getting dark, and it was a really long drive to get there. Looking back though, we've realized it was the Spirit guiding us. We went to their apartment complex that was Hmong-people central outside. We went to their door and nobody was even home. But on the way out, we started speaking to a Hmong lady and it turns out she has been wanting to come to church for a while, and she and her family are now planning to come to church this next Sunday and we have a return appointment with them. It's amazing how the Lord, if we are able and willing to listen to the promptings of the Spirit, will place in our path individuals who have been prepared to receive the gospel. 

   Today we had the opportunity to go the Fresno Temple as a Zone, which is actually only about 20 minutes from where we live! It was so awesome to be able to go to the temple again! It definitely was way smaller than the temple in Provo I had become used to attending at the MTC. It was great though to be able to go, especially because you appreciate chances like that to go so much more as a missionary. Elder Allen said we usually only go about once every six months. 

   Speaking of Elder Allen, he is awesome. He really is an amazing missionary and I have no idea how we weren't friends in high school. It actually freaks me out a little. The other night we made Strawberry Boba drinks! Hmong people love Boba drinks, so all those months working at Yogurt Stop have actually paid off because I know how to make the drinks now! I was semi-impressed with ourselves that we made the drink because it tasted like liquid-awesomeness.

   Another great opportunity we had this week was to go the the church-owned vineyard here in Fresno and pick grapes for the church! It was so fun! What I ended up doing was being the spreader - I would take the picked grapes and spread them out onto these sheet of paper so they will dry and become raisins. They're used for all the humanitarian efforts. It's crazy how quickly we got through our section as a ward compared to other wards, the Hmong people really do know their stuff when it comes to farming. It really was so cool, I'll send some pictures home of that too as soon as I can!

   One of mine and Elder Allen's favorite scripture this past week has been John 16:33 (I don't have my scriptures on me, but I'mpretty sure that's the right reference). Christ truly has overcome everything, and because of that, He's able to help us in return with anything. I really am just so grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve, I truly know that I've been called by a prophet of God specifically to this mission and to a people who have been prepared to hear and accept the Gospel through me. I love you guys so much and pray for you. Love unconditionally as Christ unconditionally loves us. Sib Ntsib Dua!

- Elder Matthew Doane / 

  Tub Txib Tshaj Lug Vwj

Elder Doane with President Gelwix (I think)