Everyone thank you so much for the e-mails. Like always they have strengthend me and giving me the answers I need to countinue on in this incredible journey. I'm not sure if you all knew this but Missionary work gets pretty tiring at times and you'll never understand home much energy I recieve just from hearing all your incouraging words. Thank you Kristin and Sister Tighe. I love you both very much and your e-mails touched my heart. Dad, mom, and rachel I'm so glad to hear you got a view of my house from Google maps. That little tree in front of my house is awesome because it smells pretty good and sometimes I will get a good smell from it in the mornings when I open my big window right above the tree. I sleep right below the window so everyone I have an incredible view that would take your breath away when I wake up everymorning. I wish you could see it.... Honestly I wish you all could experince and see the things I have seen and feel the things I've felt these past 9 months... This week was unreal, I've had experinces this week that have been almost more than I could bear Spiritually, Mentally, and Physically. It was a week that definetly went into the Journals haha, but it was also the most incredible week of my Mission experince.
I've been thinking a lot this past week about "Going through the motions" weather in our Missions or in our lifes in general. Sometimes its hard not to get sucked into the routine of life and just go through what we call "The Motions" but sometimes we cant help it. For example I remember when I first entered the Mission field and I went to teach my first lesson I was scarred and nervous and more then anything else excited to finally teach as a Missionary. I thought to myself "This is it, this is everything you've prepared yourself to do up to this point in your life" and when we began to teach I did everything in my power to help the man we taught. I did everything I could to listen to him and to the whisperings of the Spirit. I did everything that I needed to do to succed in my sacred calling as a servent of the Lord. As time has gone on (9 Months to be exact) its been hard to stay focused, to remeber those feelings I felt the first time I went to teach... Those feelings of my purpose as a Missionary. This past week I found myself becoming lost within the chambers of my mind and heart and I began to only go through the motions of the Mission.
I then had an experince that shouted and slapped "WAKE UP ELDER DOGGETT" right in my pride filled face! Haha It was this past wednesday and I was really tired.... As we began the day of work I just felt completly exhausted and I didnt feel like I had the energy to countinue, But we went to work. As the day draged on and the heat became more and more unbearable I was becoming a little discouraged, especially since ALL of our lessons fell through and my handkercheif was completally filled with my sweat that I could no longer wipe the sweat from my face... thoughts began to enter my head and I began to have a sore attitude and I began just going through the Motions of the day.... It was around 6 my time here so around 1 o'clock for everyone back in Rexburg that I had an experince that I will never forget. We went to our last marked apointment for the hour of 6 and it fell through. By this point I was almost finished, I looked at my companion who was exhausted and he looked at me and we realized we were both almost finished... We just both sat there not really knowing what to do next. My companion (Elder Larsen) then said "Elder Doggett do you remember Richard?" I responded "Ya I do... Hes that old refrence we tried contacting a few weeks back but never got a hold of right?" Elder Larsen "Ya thats him... I feel inpressed we should go pass by his house." The minute my companion said these words I felt diffrent... I felt the same Spirit my companion was feeling testify to me that this is where we needed to go. I cant really it explain it and I dont think I ever will be able to but I honestly just felt that this was right. As we showed up at his house we knew there was something going down because there was quite a bit of noise coming from the house. But we knocked and his neighbors let us in. This was a rare chance for us because we tried several weeks back to talk with Richard but we could never get a hold of him. I remember we tried once every day to get a hold of him but he was never home. As we entered things were not going good. He was in a heated argument with his wife and I looked at my Companion and we both gave each other incouraging nods and walked him. I can't really describe the time we spent with Richard after this but only it was a Spiritually experince for all of us. As we entered his wife couldnt hear our message because she stayed in there bedroom crying, but Richard said he wanted to hear what we had to say so we shared the first lesson. The lesson was diffrent and the Spirit was so stong. Those memories of when I taught my very first lesson flooded my mind and I had the desire and strength once again to keep going to keep listening, and to do all I possible could to help this man Richard. Well in the middle of the lesson he stoped... He looked at us and he began to cry. He told us that he and his wife just found out the he (Richard) has cancer, and the reason they were fighting was because he wanted to spend more time with his family but they didnt know how to accomplish this with his work and the keymo theoropy treatments starting this week... I sat there in shock. He then countinued by saying "If you two had shown up ten minutes later then when you did, I would have done something that would have ruined my life forever...." I still dont know what he was going to do but we finished one of the most Spiritual lesson I've ever taught and Elder Larsen and I left... Once we were on the street Elder Larsen turned to me and said "Elder Doggett this right here is exactly why we are on the Mission."
I will keep you imformed on Richard but it will be almost impossible for him to go to church now and it will be very hard to teach the lessons as he will be staying at the Hospital but I know with all my Heart the Lord sent us there for a very specific reason and we've already told our members about his situation so we'll firgure out what Hospital hes staying at and we will make sure to visit him during this time. It was an experince that woke me back up to the reality of the Mission. One thing that Elder Birch (Another Elder who I live with) said is sometimes its hard not to get sucked into the routine of life or the Mission. For example Elder Birch Ironed is white shirts but when he finished Ironing he realized the Ironer wasnt on and he was only going through the motions by moving the Iron up and down but he wasnt acomplishing anything... The same thing applies with us and our lifes. For me in my situation I think of the heat from the Iron to get the wrinkles out of the Shirts as the Spirit of the Lord. Sometimes we need to stop and take a second and reflect on our lifes and get ourselves out of the motions.
Like always I hope this all makes sense for all of you haha. Its been a pretty incredible week for me but remember always to stay close to the Lord and the Spirit. Be worthy to have the companionship of the Spirit with you at all times. I promise you that when you do this you will grow closer to our Heavenly Father. In Romans 10:3 It says something to the effect "Ignorance pulls us away from God." With knowledge (especially when accompanied by the Spirit) we come to know him. We see as he sees and the desire to serve and become like him grows and is nourished by our faith and works until the perfect day. For this reason we must read our Scriptures, Do all we can to follow the commandments, and most importantly do all we can to become more like our Father in Heaven by living as worthy members of the Church. Remember always that If we want to recieve all that God has, we must give him all that we have. :) I love you all so much and I've never been more happy in my life. Don't wory I'm back to speed with everything especially because of my wonderfull family and friends who e-mail me each week. I can't tell you all how much I love the Mission. I do miss the cold but thats ok because when I get home I'll have a much deeper apreciation for the wonderfull weather of winter haha. I love you all and I hope you know I think of you all everyday... I'm serious haha but I also know this church is true. Something I love that my father always says in his e-mails to ben and I is this. "This church is true, it really is." Its that simple phrase that has gotten m through some rough patches. I love you all and I hope you never forget that. I just dont know how many times I can say it more. I know this week will be a good one and I pray that you all will have a great week to! :) You all have a blessed day now ok? hahah (Old Jamba Juice pick up line) haha Love you all and God be with you until next week.
Love Elder Matthew Ryan Doggett
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