Super, Super Busy Zone Confs | Incredible Church Members | "My Plan" Session Soon

Hi everyone,

Question: What's keeping you busy in this wonderful holiday season of missionary work?
Elder Doxey: We have been on the go working really hard all week long. This is one of those P-days where I’m just dead. Elder Webb and I just finished putting on six zone conferences, traveling all over the mission.

One of the Zone Conferences We Put On

We held two zone conferences in each location, traveling to three different areas. At each location we had 2-3 zones gathering. Each day began at 5:30 am for Elder Webb and I because we had to drive to the location and get it fully set up for training, ready to feed lunch the masses of missionaries, get break out rooms set up and more—all starting at 7:00 am (with the first zone) and lasting until 1:30 pm.

President Reese, Elder Webb, Elder Doxey, Sister Reese

Of course President and Sister Reese were there, as were Brother and Sister Smith. Between each conference we did not have a lot of time. Really tight turnaround. The second Zone Conference started right at 1:30 pm and lasted until 8:00 pm. Altogether, on those days we literally started at 5:30 am and ended at 8:00 pm. Lots of training!

Question: How did you feed everyone in each location?
Elder Doxey: To feed all the missionaries all at once like that is no small task. The food was basically the same (ham, rolls, turkey, stuffing, salad, etc.) For the first Zone Conference it was a lunch and for the second Zone Conference it was a dinner.

One fun thing the local members in the stakes did for these zone conferences is each family was encouraged to donate a box of cereal for the missionaries. Literally, it is every kind of cereal possible. Elder Webb and I gave ours away to another companionship, b/c we have a ton of food at our house, and other companionships are just getting by.

Cereal Tower

Amazingly Generous Church Members

Question: What else was memorable at all these zone conferences you put on?
Elder Doxey: We wanted some way of breaking up all the training going on so we organized some team-building like games, had a festive holiday photo area and Krispy Kreme donuts. Over the three days of training I literally ate 18 donuts! Sister Reese also organized a musical program using all the talent in the mission.

Super good to see Elder Sanabria again!

Question: What are your plans for Christmas Day?
Elder Doxey: On Christmas day, we will be at home with the Smiths, their kids and grandkids. It’s a real privilege to be here as a missionary. I don’t take it for granted. I mean, aside from what I’ve already told you with our room setup, Elder Webb and I have our own couch to sit on in our room. We also have a ping pong table that we can use on P-days. Whoever wins gets to do 30 crunches, and 30 pushups. We're spoiled.

I like this format

Question: Do your AP duties increase with Christmas?
Elder Doxey: Mail at Christmastime in the mission is CRAZY. In the mission office, they literally have to get a trailer to handle it all. So, don’t send me anything unless you send it right to the Smith’s home. On P-day, we get ready for the day just like any other day because there is so much work to do. Somehow in the middle of it we find some time to chill.



Question: What is keeping you busy aside from putting on zone conferences?
Elder Doxey: At the moment we have a number of missionaries finishing their missions, so that means we need to receive their cars, keys to cars, keys to apartments, SIM cards, mission devices, and more. It is quite a process b/c we hold on to that and re-allocate it when we have out next changes.

Speaking of SIM cards, I am now on my 8th or 9th phone in the mission. I had a phone out on San Blas that I accidentally dropped in the ocean, and many others leading up to the phone I have now a J3 that was left behind by another missionary. Who knew missionary work is so hard on phones?

Question: Do you have many that are getting their reassignments yet?
Elder Doxey: There are a few reassignments starting to trickle in—I’ve seen some missionaries ship out to their assignments in Uruguay, Paraguay, Italy, and Ghana. Most of those who are arriving are either assigned here, or it is missionaries just like John who were assigned to one place, and are here indefinitely until their mission opens up.

Fancy dog

Question: Are church members supportive in helping with missionary work at Christmas?
Elder Doxey: You are not going to believe how supportive church members are in my area. I had been wearing some old brown leather shoes for a long time (just because I was trying to wear them out and save my good ones for after my mission).

Well, some church members here in the area asked if I needed new shoes. I told them no, b/c I have another pair that is practically new. A couple days pass. We get a call from the members and they ask us to go down to Famous Footwear to help them pick out some shoes. I told them they did not need to, that they shouldn’t and they said, “It’s our gift to you Elder! Pick out any shoes you want.” This is a pretty humbling position to be in. They insisted I get some good ones, so I picked out some nice brown Florsheims. They were $100! I could not believe it.

Then, later in the week we were having a Ward Council meeting on Zoom. Some church members asked us to go by a home where we would find letters to us in the door. What they didn’t say is there would be $25 gift cards in there too!

I really can’t believe how generous they are with us. It’s humbling. Elder Webb and I were wondering why they are so good to us. We think one reason is that most of them have sons and daughters of their own serving somewhere in the world. We are totally spoiled. They give us drinks, decorated cookies, salads, dinners, and more. Again, it’s humbling.

Your Dutiful APs Elder Webb & Elder Doxey

Question: Of course you are going to finish strong and not get trunky. Is there anything you have seen with all the missionaries you have taken to the airport that is coming your way?
Elder Doxey: In a few weeks I start a “My Plan” sessions with a senior missionary couple in our mission. This “My Plan” is a course that all outgoing missionaries get--it is a post mission planning meeting, and goal setting session. At this point all I know is I am planning to go to BYU-I starting in April…along with about HALF of my mission. Literally, I think there are about 75 who are planning to go to BYU-I. There are some going to UVU or BYU-P also, but most are going to BYU-I. 

Gotta go. Love you all.

Elder Doxey