Southern Comfort Zone

Here we are, the last letter. I have learned and experienced so much on my mission that has changed my life forever. I love the people here in the south and the culture is amazing. I will start with a summery of my week then into what I learned on my best two years.

This week was a blur. I had to say goodbye to so many people that I love so much! The craziest thing that happens last week was I was knocked on my first door ever in the mission and I got a new investigator! It was pretty cool. I was nervous and felt like a good ol' greenie again but the spirit came in and it all worked out. Other things that happen was the battle of just getting out and working for my last week. I feel like I pushed through and made it. I love my mission! Here are some of the things that I learned.

• The number one thing that I have learned is as to my own strength, I am nothing. 
• I have learned that repenting with full purpose of heart brings joy. Life doesn’t get any easier, and might even get harder, but when I repent with the Holy Ghost I can make it through and become more like our Savior. 
• I have learned that revelation is a real thing. I love the phrase “90% of revelation is information.” I know that God is always there for me. I know that He loves me and loves everyone of His children. I also know that though He loves us eternally and perfectly, He trusts us differently. 
• I love how the people in the south hold fast to Christ. You could talk to any random stranger and they will talk about their whole life. I am so thankful for the restored gospel that brings so much clarity. 
• I have learned to really feast on the scripture because here you have to know your Bible and Book of Mormon if you want to compete. I know the Book of Mormon, coupled with the Spirit, is the best tool we’ve got for conversion. 
• I know, without a doubt, that Joseph Smith really was a prophet and that we are guided by living prophets here today. I love and sustain President Nelson. I know I ain’t suppose to have favorites but I think he has made my top 3 list. 
• I would not trade my mission for anything. I didn’t see really any change to myself until I looked back at the young man I was before my mission to now and I thank the Lord for molding me to who I am today. I plan on continuing my discipleship and “prepare to meet God”
• I love the south. I love Tennessee! I love Kentucky!! This part of the country will hold a place in my heart that I will look back in forever. I love all the people I was able to serve. I pray that God will continue to use me as a tool to bring about much good unto this generation. I love all y’all who were with me along the journey. “Boot camp is over, now onto the the battlefield!”

Elder Quiring signing off! Have a blessed week and God bless you. See y’all soon!

Love, Elder Q

Elder Doty:

So this email is super quick today, we have had a pretty hectic p day today. We went fishing withnsome other elders in the neighboring area and ended up spending the whole day with them and lost track of time a bit. But, I just wanted to let everyone know I am still alive.

Elder Quiring left today! He is my 5th companion to go home (reason for the ominous subject line). It is a bummer because we having a blast here in Paducah. But, I will be staying in Paducah and getting Elder Cluff. I am pretty pumped because we have actually been around each other since January. He is the other zone leader in the Paducah Zone and we will be together now. 

I am alive! The Church is true! Have a blessed week!

Love,

Elder Doty 

House of Dreams

Wow I can’t believe that I am in my final stretch of my mission. I feel like I am in a dream and that I am just being transferred to another area in my mission. I have to stay in the moment and soak it all up!

This week was a blast and it just flew! We set a date! Whoot! Problem is that he is moving soon. What a referral for the missionaries in Indianapolis. Other things that happened this week was I went to the temple, slayed a serpent, met the justice league and completed the burrito challenge! I got my picture up next to the boys who have also finished it. The serpent was about 5 feet long and man it was quick. I don’t think it was poisonous but it was an experience for sure. This weekend was “superman” days up in metropolis so we talked to a butt ton of people up there.

Prepare for a longer one next week because I will discuss the things that I have learned. I absolutely love the south! It is for sure God’s country! 🇺🇸

Love, Elder Q

Dyed in the Wool

We met a “dyed in the wool” baptist and then I figured that I am a “dyed in the wool” Mormon ha!

This week has just been a blast and it has flown by. I had the best and last Zone Conference ever! We opened up the meeting with the doctrine of Christ and man do I love it! We discussed how the purpose of God related to our purpose as a missionary and to the key indicators of conversion. Then we all came to the conclusion to delete our Facebook app because our baptisms before Facebook was up words in the 30s a month and when we got Facebook it dropped to barely even the 20s. Satan is doing s good job at distracting the saints. I read the
challenges that President Nelson issued to the youth and man it got me so stoked! I hope everyone had a chance to watch the broadcast and accept the challenges. Before my mission I would think “that is nice.” But now when a prophet says something like that I take it as direct revelation to me to do better and know that it will prepare me for the second coming. The lord is hastening his work, we better get on the train or we will be left behind.

The other cool part about Zone Conference was after lunch! I won my last golden hubcap! After that we had a play done by E. Arrington and I fell out of my chair laughing! I have laughed so hard in about 2 years. Then we went into the chapel and there stands the Nashville Tribute band to great us. I know some of the members of the band because I have served in their wards. Anyways, they preformed for us and I cried in every song. I have become such a cry baby lately. I knew every verse and even got to sing along with them. Then the moment came that I gave my departing testimony and man that was intense.

Other things that happened this week was just the classic mini miracles. We get prompted to knock on a door, lend a listening ear and a scripture to help. I love how the lord guides his missionaries and even members. We are so close to getting this man on date. I have been so bold with him and finally got his concerns out. He really doesn’t have a testimony on the Book of Mormon and more of living prophets. He has been going to church for 4 years and now we have finally pinpoint his concerns. I also got in contact with some of my converts and they should be coming back to church! Yay! Anyways, this week was so cool!

I love y’all and hope y’all have a blessed week!

Love, Elder Q

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Elder Doty

Howdy howdy!

So to start the week we had, quite literally, the best zone conference ever! It started out with a fantastic discussion we all had about baptism and how we need to not be so nervous or hesitant to talk about it with people and invite them to be baptized. After that we had a little comedy show. Elder Arrington, one of the senior missionaries who is serving in the mission office, was a professional actor back in his day. He put on a one man show for us and it was honestly one of the funniest things I had ever seen! Then after that, President Stone surprised us all with a concert! The Nashville Tribute band came and played a few songs for us. They are like a country Christian band, but they're Mormon! I liked them before, but now am a life long fan!

Also, we having been working with this guy named Joel. Let me tell you about my man Joel! He has been coming to church for like 4 years, and is still not baptized! Missionaries haven't done anything with him for a few years because he stopped making any progress. But over the past few weeks he has really been opening up a ton! We have figured out what has been holding him back and he will be getting down in the water any day now!

We also got to go to the temple today! It was awesome and much needed. I haven't been able to go in almost 7 months. With today and some other experiences throughout the past week, all I can say is the church is true! Only flaw in the whole temple trip has been the insane Nashville traffic. We got a ride from an older couple in our ward, the Christensens. Bless their hearts, but they are terrifying drivers haha.

Till next week! Sure love y'all!

Love,

Elder Doty 

Sufficiently Soaked

There was not a day this week were I was either dripping in sweat or soaked in water. It literally rained neck deep to a giraffe this week. There are so many little miracles that we see everyday and I kind of take granted for all of them. One miracle that we saw this week was we found a pretty solid family while tracting! Yes tracting works. Not only that but we also found a PMF (part member family) this week.

Cool things that happened this week was we helped out at the Schneider’s farm and man do I love working hard in the heat! Something about it is just satisfying. E. Doty and I are having a good time
together and laughing until I cry. We also had a lot of serious moments this week as we have been in the right place at the right time. I love how the spirit can really lead and guide us even if we don’t know it at the moment.

I love the Paducah ward and good things are about to happen. I will try and find a story for next week. I love y’all and hope y’all have a blessed week.

Love, Elder Q

Senior Citizen Day

I went on an exchange with week with good ol E. Doman. Hence the title of my email this week. As we were tracting around the “danger zone” we talked a lot about home, what we have learned on our missions, what the mission has become and other things. It totally ruined me though for the rest of the next day. Anyways, we had a good time oh and he is going to the strawberry days rodeo too so that is cool.

Story of the week. On Sunday while we were out finding people, it started to rain. It wasn’t bad but if anyone knows southern weather then you know it will pour at any minute. So we get to walking to a dormant member’s home and you hear the rain first then it hits you. We go running to the man’s house all the while getting soaked. We guessed on what house was his and this man told us to come in. We get in there and the man is standing behind a pulpit and said “how did y’all get here so fast? I prayed ya here.” Then he proceeds to welcome us to the “amen corner” and the “pirate church” this guy was a legit loon. I was having s good time ha! He talked about how he is a Jesus freak and how he is the mayor of new Paducah. His house looked like a rebel hideout from movies or books. There were plans and writings on all the walls. He told us that he is a prophet and guess what? His name is Q! We bonded on that but then he also says he is apostle. In his words, “apostle mean homeless, ask Paul!” Anyways, we got out of there but we now have a refuge if we need it in “Dollar Town”

We are still finding away and hopefully will get a baptismal date soon! Love y’all and have a blessed week!

Love, Elder Q

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Elder Doty's weekly:  

Hello everyone!

So one of the highlights of this week is the fact we met a "prophet". His name was Quinton and he is the head of a pirate church (fitting because he looked just like a prophet). We met him because we were walking around in a neighborhood trying to find some less active people and interested dumping on us. So we ran to the house we were trying to go too and knocked on the door. Someone from the inside yelled and told us to come inn the side door, so we did. As we enter, we see Quinton standing in his kitchen with his Bible in one hand and cigarette in the other. He proceeded to preach to us for about 20 minutes, it was dumping outside so we couldn't leave haha. He showed us his map of Paducah and began to explain the "New Paducah". Part of his map was labeled Dollar Town and another was labeled Danger Zone. Dollar Town is the part of Paducah that is a little bit more run down and kind of poor. But Danger Zone is where all the stores and rich people are. Needless to say it was an experience to remember. 

Besides that it was a stellar week! We had exchanges with our district leader and his companion. Elder Quirings mom sent us a bunch of snacks and we are now loaded with chips and salsa for the rest of the transfer (thanks Momma Q). I hit my year mark and got to burn a white shirt! 

I hope you all have a fabulous week. Thank you for all love and support!

Love,

Elder Doty 

Deja Vu

First off I love my mom so much! It was a great time talking with the family and my mom. I can’t wait to see them! First week back in Paducah has been straight deja vu. It is weird coming back and being a different person then when I started. I have learned so much but not too much has changed here except some people have moved. It is quaint little town here in Paducah. I love the ward because they have such a family feel. I am glad to be finishing my mission here.

I don’t have much to report because the days are just flying by. We have been doing a lot of tracting.  Wanna hear a cool story?  We were knocking in a trailer park because we had a lesson there that fell through. We knocked into this one guys home and he let us in and told us about his wife who is having health issues. She was laying in a bed and the whole time the spirit was like “ask if you can give her a blessing.” I was putting it off for a while then the man asked if we could say a prayer. I followed the spirits nudge and asked if we could give her a priesthood blessing. We taught them about blessings and then gave her one. During the blessing the spirit was so strong! We talked about it after and both of them felt the spirit. They accepted a Book of Mormon and was so happy to read it. We see them tomorrow.

I love y’all and have blessed day! The church is true and the restored gospel is real. Until next week have a blessed day!

Love, Elder Q

Conner's new address (the same one he had in the beginning)

204 Glenn St. Paducah, KY 42003

First will be the last

Early Tuesday morning the sun was shining and E. Hunter and I were leaving to take on the world. We hadn’t heard any transfer info so we had our hopes up that we would stay one more transfer. After we put our sunscreen on we opened the door and out phone starts to ring. The caller ID says President Stone, my heart sank. He starts off by saying, I have some good news and some more good news.” We got so happy! He then proceeds to say that he couldn’t keep two good missionaries together for that long so he needs to spread the wealth. E. Hunter will stay and be the District leader and get E. Jorgenson. E. Hunter is a stud and I will miss him so much! He will be a fabulous
missionary and maybe even the best that I have seen. I am going to drum roll...... Paducah! I am really sad leaving this area but if I had to move my last transfer, it would be Paducah. It will be so weird going to back since it has almost been 2 years! My mission is becoming full circle. I knew when I left the first time that my time wasn’t finished there and look I get a second chance! I will be with E. Doty and he is the Zone Leader is president wants me to help him out.

This week has been pretty normal. The earth almost flooded her one day and that was fun! We have done a lot of walking in both sun and rain and I am rather burned ha! I was sad to say goodbye to the district and Theresa. I will say goodbye to some more peeps tonight and I might cry. I absolutely love my district! We have all grown so close and I tear up just talking about it. Anyways, we did a plethora of service this week as always. We had 2 solid Investigators at church and it was a dope experience. This area is just on fire. I will miss Ronald getting baptized. He is Winston’s dad and man, he will be a General Authority for sure.

That about sums up my week. I am just in morning and so torn but I bet Paducah will be awesome! Have a blessed week y’all! See ya on Mothers Day!

Love, Elder Q