3 New People to Teach | Supportive Church Members | Very Busy Always

Hi Family!

Question: What's new in your Zone?
Answer: This week two Elders in my zone (Elders Christensen and Sorenson) went to Dustin and Elise Call’s home here in Vegas. Dustin and Elise asked if they knew me, and they sort of got wide eyed and said they did and that I was their Zone Leader. Small world! 

Question: People-wise, tell us about church members, #s of missionaries, people you are serving or teaching. What’s new? 
Answer: I think we have around 50+ in church, I’m not really sure because things have changed so much with Covid. We are supposed to have a baptism at the end of the month, it is a young man that other missionaries had been teaching. I think he is 13.

Awesome 13 year old young man we are teaching

Beautiful

It seems like this sort of situation may be happening more, because I think in August we are supposed to have 300 missionaries in the mission, which is about 130 more than we have right now. Lots of movement, lots of opportunities. For example, I mentioned we had moved around a lot. Well, in this most recent move to one of the Truman homes, my comp and I found three new people to teach—people that had been previously taught by other missionaries. We also got a bonafide referral from Washington State recently. We are teaching all the time, and doing service projects all the time. 

Weed duty.

Question: How is your La Quinta hotel, as a missionary?
Answer: Well, my comp and I officially moved out of the La Quinta Hotel on the Strip. We live with a member family by the name of Truman now; it’s a different house than before—it is on Cimarron and Alexander Street. The Trumans own the whole street, and we live in a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house on the street. It’s very generous of the Trumans to let us stay here.

There are six Zone Leaders living here, there are three fully stocked refrigerators and pantries full of food. There are literally La-Z-Boy recliners, there are soda machines, all you can eat Fat Boy Ice Cream, and hot tubs with jets. It’s literally like being at Grammie’s house. Ha Ha! They feed us ribs, In & Out Burger and more. The church members here are super awesome to us.

I can’t believe how generous they are. Let’s just say it’s a bit different than when I was in my hut and hammock in Irgandi, San Blas. I just smile...I think some missionaries think this is normal. They have no idea how good they have it--literally everything is lined up to just do missionary work without much to hold you back.

We don’t use most of all that luxury stuff (if any) because we are really busy and always on the go. I should sent you a copy of our daily calendar. We're always busy. 

Question: Any idea what the Truman's do for work?
Answer: I think the Truman’s own a trucking company, and have been here a long time. Brother Truman is really into restoring old cars—mostly VWs, BMWs, LandRovers from the 60s, really old sewing machines, some of which are more than 100 years old. Really cool guy. Our house is right next door the theirs.

Question: How are things with companions, other missionaries and members?
Answer: I’ve met some good missionaries in the Zone. A couple of them are going to BYUI after their missions. One is Sister Johnson (from Idaho, going to BYUI after the mission), whose companion is Sister Black. Sister Black apparently was an All-State Tennis player at Lone Peak High School, and on P-Day challenged anyone to try to beat her at a church member’s tennis court. She beat everyone, including the APs, Elders Orchard and Wilson. 

At a church member's home with Sisters Johnson and Black

With some great Vegas church members

A super memorable, awesome Vegas family

Many of the church members here are really, really fun people. They literally are happy for many reasons, but one is because they live the gospel. Let me tell you about a few. Of course, there is Elise (Kelly) & Dustin Call (NOTE: Dustin is Nate’s 1st Cousin) … Elise literally brought me over a $25 gift card and package. There are some other members who gave us these huge canisters of muscle building protein powder—I guess they want us to be ripped. 

View of downtown Vegas from the Lone Mountain area

Question: Give us a Covid update. Do you wear masks wherever you go?
Answer: We do when we go into member homes…but they quickly ask us to take them off. We wear them everywhere we are required to wear them.

One thing I definitely have to work through as Zone Leader of these 30 missionaries is the fact that some literally feel “paralyzed” and think they have to sit there in quarantine all day. That is not the case. So, I am constantly trying to help them see opportunities around them, and talking to them about all we can do as missionaries. One of our Ward Mission Leaders is a police sergeant and is convinced Covid is all political maneuvering or a hoax.


Elder Doxey: What’s new at home? 
Answer: John’s mission papers are officially in. He had his interview with President Jackson last Sunday. He was ordained an Elder last week, and received his Patriarchal Blessing the same day. As an incoming Freshman, Liza made the Timpview JV soccer team, so she is really excited about that. Caroline’s club soccer team is better than it has ever been. 

Question: Any interaction with local church leadership?
Answer: Definitely. Yes. This past week we had a meeting with President Reese and his two counselors (one is Brother Tom Thomas…who is the “Thomas” on the Thomas and Mack Center here), President Harper (the Lone Mountain Stake President), my comp Elder Sanabria and yours truly. Let me just say that is one impressive group of leaders.

Brother & Sister Thomas, Elder Sanabria and Elder Doxey

Before the mission, President Reese was the CEO of a hospital in Southern California, Brother Thomas is a really good counselor to President Reese—really amazing leaders—they are super, super balanced people. They are very strong spiritually, but also very strong in their professions. They communicate very, very well and plan very well. I am learning a lot from them. 

I learned a ton in Panama, and especially in San Blas but I have to recognize that serving here in my own country, with my own people, and in my own language is a real honor. I am learning about so many qualities in people that I want to have in my life, so in that way I think I am learning a lot that I will use later in life.

Gotta go. Much love,

Elder Doxey