Week 77

Well, this is it. My last weekly letter. It doesn't feel real yet - probably because Christmas was yesterday and I always feel a huge boost after seeing my family (Plus I had my first white Christmas yesterday which made me extremely happy and put me into a mini daze). This week was awesome. Christmas is such a fun time to go and talk about, testify of, and celebrate the life and birth of our Savior, especially as a missionary. We have a lot of progress with all of our investigators, which only makes it harder to leave them.

I have been so blessed throughout my mission to be put with the people that I needed to grow and feel the love of my Heavenly Father. Every member, missionary, and non-member that I have gotten to teach and talk with has blessed my life in ways that I can't even start to express. I know that I was sent to this mission for a reason and it was 100% for the people that I needed to meet.

If there is anything I have learned these last 18 months it is that God is aware of every small detail of our lives, but we have to work to see that. Faith doesn't just come over night and it doesn't come without hard work. It can be frustrating to be put in positions to strengthen our faith, but if we stay strong it is always worth it. It’s worth it because we come closer to our Savior and can learn to rely on His strength.

One experience I had on my mission keeps coming back into my mind, so I thought I would share it. It wasn't an extraordinary experience, but it meant a lot to me. We were walking into an apartment complex in Phoenix and we saw a women crying on a bench. She was talking on the phone so we started to walk past her - she was talking about very hard things that were going on in her life. I felt like I needed to help her but I didn't know how. So I grabbed my tissues and walked up and handed them to her. She stood up, gave me a hug, and said, "I don't know you, I don't like missionaries, but I love you right now" and then went back to crying on the bench talking to her friend and we all went on with our day. I think that experience stayed with me because sometimes we all just need a little help, and God can send who we need. My favorite experiences and memories from my mission are the times where I felt God working through me to help someone. It didn't matter that she didn't accept us, or want to learn more. She got the help she needed that day and I felt so honored that God would trust me to help one of his children in their time of need.

God is real. He loves us enough to send His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. I know He lives. I have felt the spirit testify to me that there is a need for a modern day prophet to guide us on the earth and I know that Thomas S. Monson is that prophet. Joseph Smith really did bring back Jesus Christ's church. Because of that knowledge and these last 18 months of sharing it, my life will never be the same.

I love you all, thank you for all the support, encouragement, and prayers you have given me.

Have a wonderful new year,

Sister Doxey

Week 76

This week was a struggle. It has been super hard to have lessons because we had so many meetings and by the time our meetings were over for the week, everyone was out of town for Christmas. We also had some setbacks with some of our investigators, so they won't be able to be baptized until after the new year...when I'm home. So that was a huge bummer because I really wanted to be there for them, but I know that it’s God’s timing and not mine. So it was a bit depressing by the end of the week with setback after setback, but I know everything happens for a reason and it will all work out.

We had Zone conference this week and we got to talk about what we all learned from reading the Book of Mormon in 65 days looking for the doctrine of Christ. So that was super cool. Plus I got to see all the missionaries serving on the mountain so that was super fun. They had all the missionaries going home this transfer bear their testimonies, and that was a bittersweet moment. But the spirit was so strong in the meeting so it helped me get through the rest of the week. We also got to go do a session in the snowflake temple the next day and I'm pretty sure that saved my sanity. At least for a few days. I think the only positive thing about going home (besides seeing everyone who I love) is getting to go to the temple more often. I feel like by the time we get to go again my spirit is in desperate need of a refill and a better outlook on life, which I can always find in the temple.

Selfie at the temple

Not much else happened this week and I really need a nap, so emails will probably be pretty short today. I just want to write how grateful I am this Christmas season for a savior who loves me enough to take on all of my pains so that I never have to feel alone. I am equally as grateful for the Book of Mormon and the Bible, which gave me my testimony of my savior. He lives, and for that I am forever grateful.

Merry Christmas everyone! Stay safe,

Sister Doxey

Week 75

This week has been so good. We had my last Zone Training Meeting. It wasn't the best one we’ve ever had, but I still learned a lot. We talked about the power and authority of being a missionary. It made me never want to stop being a missionary. I realized I have been touching and looking at my badge a lot this week. It’s like my subconscious knows I won't be wearing it much longer.

Sister Hanson continues to amaze me. She is so good at everything she does and she isn't afraid to just go out and try new things. We have been so busy these last few weeks. We just have so many people to teach. In all of Taylor, our area has the most amount of people so we are constantly moving and teaching. There are days where I think, "Man I would do anything for a half hour nap right now," but at the same time it’s hard to think I am ever going to have to stop. And I can't even think about leaving these people or I freak myself out so I just don't.

Almost all of our investigators came to church on Sunday, which was so great because it means that they are that much closer to being able to be baptized and receive all the blessings that come from following the example of Jesus Christ. Plus a few of them are on date to be baptized on my last day of my mission. Not that it's about me AT ALL, but it does make me very happy that that will be my last memory.

Ok I just realized that I am making it sound like I go home tomorrow or something - I still have time! I am really enjoying just working so hard. I just crash when I get into bed each night. This morning I almost started crying when I realized it was P-day and I could just sit for a few minutes today. P-days are much needed, just as a rest to my poor little brain. I have been stuttering all week because I am so tired. It’s the strangest thing, but so worth it.

This week was a week of small successes. We had an investigator say a prayer for the first time, two investigators went to church for the first time, and we had a lot of really good lessons with members who were able to come out to help us. By the end of the week when we looked at our goals and how close we were on the few that we didn't reach, I realized how much our Heavenly Father has been helping us. Yesterday we were really stressed because we had so many people we needed to contact in two hours and we randomly had a youth call and say that her and her two sisters were able to come out with us tonight so we got to go on splits and contact even more people than we had hoped for. It was such a blessing and I know that god answers our prayers when we are working hard. Even the prayers of our hearts.

We had a funny/extremely stressful moment yesterday. We had an investigator who was trying to get her lunch break off of work to go to sacrament meeting. She works at Walmart, and because she was at work she wasn't able to text us back when we asked if she still needed a ride. So we didn't know what to do. We really felt like we should just go to Walmart to check on her but we weren't sure if we were allowed to because it was Sunday. So we tried texting and calling our district leader who didn't answer, so we texted and called our zone leader who didn't answer, so we texted the mission president. Well, when he didn't answer we didn't have any time so we just decided it felt right to go so we did. It worked out so well because our investigator was so touched that we would go just to check on her. We got a text like an hour later from our mission president saying to go. We told him "we may have already gone..." Sometimes I think he just doesn't know what to do with me :) but he was glad we did!

I am so grateful for this gospel and the joy it brings into my life and the lives of the people I teach.

I hope you are continuing to have a fun and safe holiday season! I love you all!

Sister Doxey

Week 74

This week has been one of the weirder weeks of my mission. In some ways it feels like last Monday was yesterday and in other ways it feels like that was a year ago. It has been an extremely busy week, but it has been so much fun!

My new companion is Sister Hanson and she is heaven sent. She is such a hard worker and just wants to go out and try new and hard things. She is helping me realize the joy of the mission all over again. I couldn't have asked for a better last companion. Selfishly, I feel like she got sent to this mission just to help me out. She is preshie. We had fun taking our Christmas card pictures, so enjoy.

We had so many lessons this week - it was incredible. It might have had to do with the fact that everyone is getting back into town, but I'm just going to call it a blessing. It was good for Sister Hanson to get to teach a lot and meet all the people in our area. She's like a good luck charm or something. We went knocking on doors her first day and of the three houses we knocked on all three said we could come back. She was like "is that normal?" And I just laughed. No. No it is not.

We are also having a lot of fun doing the #LightTheWorld initiative. It’s probably my favorite of all the videos the church has come out with. I just think that service, especially at this time of year, is a really neat thing. It’s just cool to see people doing nice things for each other. So hopefully you have all seen the video and are working on serving people in 25 ways over 25 days. I know it blesses lives (especially when your companion does your dishes).

I really don't know what else to write. I'm hoping that the whole "a picture’s worth a thousand words" thing will be true for this week. I hope the holidays are going well for everyone! Stay safe!

I love you all,

Sister Doxey