Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Goodbye Elder Staley - Week 39

This was a hard and rewarding week for Elder Pohl and I here in St. Vincent.

On Tuesday we had a good zone meeting where we spent the whole time talking about things we learned from our companions and then we took some time to take pictures and sign books and stuff it was a lot of fun. Then we actually all but one of our appointments fall through, but we had a great lesson with the Ashton family, it got a little hostile at times, but it turned out really good.

On Wednesday it was transfer day and we woke up at about 5 to tapping on our window because the zone leaders were dropping off a missionary to stay with us until his companion flew in. It was also the last time I would see one of my best friends for a long time. We got up and tried to see some people after studying but that ended up falling through too, so we caught a bus to the airport to get the missionary to his new companion. Later, we were able to have a great lesson with a girl named Kelly who is the older sister of one of the recent converts in the branch. She told us about how she wants to change and be baptized but there are things she has to do first. It was a really spiritual lesson and it went really well!

On Thursday we had some  great lessons planned but actually had most of them fall through again. We had some awesome lessons with the ashtons and a man named Leslie! It was great!

On Friday we had a lesson with someone we had never met before named Steven and he was really interested and really wants to grow closer to Christ! It was an awesome lesson! 

On Saturday we were able to visit with a woman named Rachael who we contacted a few weeks ago.  She is really involved in her faith at the moment, but loves having us come over and talk to her about what we believe. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon and while explaining it she read a little about the Book of Ether and the confounding of the tongues and she was happy to find out that it is the same tower of Babel as in the bible. It was a great leesson and she is excited to learn more! 

On Sunday we had great church and we were able to have a sweet FHE with the Brown family that night.  We talked about Joseph Smith and watched a little movie about him!

It was a great week and Elder Pohl and I are doing really well! We got some new missionaries on the island and it is really fun to see them just starting, it reminds me of about 9 months ago tomorrow when I entered the MTC. Boy I can't believe time has flown by like that..

I love you all and thank you for the emails and letters! Have a great week!


Love, Elder Dorrance



Sister Christiansen, Sister Shelton, Sister Worthington, Elder Oleson, Elder Staley, and Elder Gordon

Elder Shariatmadari (Back) and Elder Staley


Monday, October 20, 2014

Lots of fun fun fun! - Week 38

This week was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work... 

On Tuesday we had almost every single lesson fall through which is still kind of a bummer but we find other things to do that I feel are pretty effective. Especially visiting with less active members in the area we are in.  Trying to just visit with them and see how they are doing...

On Wednesday we spent a good part of the morning trying to get the baptismal font filled up for a baptism that evening and getting into the office because it was locked. But we ended up working it all out and getting it put together nice. We had some alright lessons but mostly everything tapped out again. The baptism was for the next Elders. Her name is Alicia and she is way cool. On trade-offs I have been able to teach her a few times. She is really cool and has gone through a lot to get baptized it was really cool! 

On Thursday we had a trade off planned where Elder Staley would be coming into my area which was probably the best trade-off I've had on my mission... We taught some great lessons and had a whole lot of fun. We actually had a cool experience with the other zone leader trying to call someone and getting someone else and contacting them to the point where they were willing to let us come and visit her. So it was way cool to go and to talk to her about the Book of Mormon. But we had a great day and some wonderful lessons.

On Friday morning we traded back and actually ended up having another kinda cruddy day with everything falling through. We did have an okay lesson with some less actives but nothing too great... Kind of a bummer.

On Saturday we were able to go see a woman named Nikisha who's brother and friend were all there and they all were extremely interested in the Book of Mormon which was super cool! Also later that night we had a great lesson with the Ashton family focusing on the restoration which is the only problem they are facing right now. It's hard to help people be converted when they won't read the Book of Mormon. That is one thing I have definitely learned on my mission.

On Sunday we had great church! Alicia was confirmed and the whole thing was set apart for the primary program which was hysterical! haha. It wasn't like at home but it was still pretty good. Then we were able to have lunch at a members house and a lesson with a woman we contacted earlier in the week who is super prepared to receive the gospel which is super cool to see! 

It has been a great week with a lot of the same stuff going one. Serving the Lord in paradise. Beautiful sunsets, lots of great people, and tons of good times!

Thanks for all the prayers and emails and keep 'em coming! I love you tons and have a great week!


Love, Elder Dorrance

Monday, October 13, 2014

This Really is Christ's Church - Week 37

Well I think I'm getting to that point on my mission where really nothing changes too much. I go out and do missionary work every single day and that is kind of it... haha

This week we were able to make some great progress with a couple investigators though. 

On Tuesday we were able to have President and Sister Mehr join us in our Zone meeting which was cool to have their insight into the lesson. President Mehr was there to do interviews with the missionaries. It's nice to be able to sit down with the mission president for a little bit to talk with him. After Zone Meeting we went to see a woman named Amanda who is supposed to be preparing herself for baptism but is kind of fizzling away from commitments which is kind of sad. We were able to sit down and have a nice lesson with her and her sister though. Her sister is very interested in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and how the whole thing came about. So that is really cool to see her interested in that.

On Wednesday we got to go see a cool man named Leslie. He is very humble and we always have really good discussions whenever we go over. We have been stressing the importance of the Book of Mormon if he really wants to find out if anything we share is true. I really think that he is starting to understand. We also had correlation with the branch president on Wednesday night and about half way through President Mehr came and sat in with us, but nothing too crazy...

On Thursday we had a fantastic lesson with the whole Ashton family about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith which is cool because they are the ones we have been focusing on for the last few weeks, I really think that they are about to get it.

Also on Thursday in our Book of Mormon reading we were right in the middle of Third Nephi. I love reading about the Savior's ministry in the Americas, I especially love how closely related the church is now to how it was when Jesus Christ was on the earth...

This really is Christ's Church.

Then on Friday we spent some time trying to contact and tract a part of our area that we hadn't really been to before, but it turned out to be a dud. I have never been so downhearted on my mission than when a contact with a complete stranger goes badly. Haha I'm okay now but it just completely kills me on the inside because I feel like people won't even give us a chance to talk and just shut us down.

But on Saturday we were able to see someone in the morning and got back home in time to make some spaghetti and start our fast. This had to be one of the quickest fasts I've ever had. I don't know why, but I feel like it just flew by. We went walking a whole lot Saturday night with our Branch President while he showed us around to a few people which was kind of hard but nothing too crazy.

Then on Sunday morning the hunger and thirst pains really hit me, but we headed off to church and had a really nice Sunday meeting. Then we were able to have lunch at a members house and have an alright rest of our night.

All in all it was an okay week I guess. Fasting is hard but something I learned is in Helaman 3:35 Which talks about some blessings that come from fasting. like greater humility and faith.

I love this gospel and I love you!

Have a fantastic week!


All my love, Elder Dorrance


My now Wife's family spent a lot of time in Seaside Oregon which is where this kids sweatshirt is from.
He had no clue what it was.


Monday, October 6, 2014

Conference - Week 36

There wasn't a whole lot that was going on this week, we taught some lessons and walked around a lot, nothing out of the ordinary for a day in the life here in St. Vincent.

On Tuesday we had a great district meeting about accountability for our actions and how we should not be slothful but be diligent and obedient. Its really cool to see these principles of missionary work talked about in the Book of Mormon. It really strengthens my testimony of it when I can read and apply what I read into life, especially missionary life. After district meeting I was able to go to Campden Park with Elder Wilson from Wisconsin. He is a hoot and we had a lot of fun serving together for the day or two. We taught some of their really cool investigators and had a really good time!

On Wednesday I spent most of the day with Elder Wilson and then headed back to Kingstown for correlation and a couple more lessons for the night. It was a really good lesson with a less active family about General Conference.

On Thursday we had some great lessons and were able to set a baptismal date with a woman named Brontie! She is excited to be baptized but knows that there are some things in her life that she needs to change.

On Friday we had some alright lessons but one that stuck out in particular was with a woman named Shakie. We taught her about the prophet Enos gaining a remission of his sins and going to do missionary work. She understood it well and wants to read more into the book of mormon! So that was super cool!

I cant even begin to talk about Saturday and Sunday though. Saturday was amazing. I've never had such an amazing experience with conference as I have had on my mission. The spirit is so strong. It was great! 

Sunday was a great day! I loved being there at the branch with all the members listening to the men and women called of God to speak to us. It was such a fantastic experience.

It was an average week, a hard week, but an okay week. Conference was a definite improvement and a great way to finish it off.

Thanks for all the love and prayers! Keep up the good work! 

Love you all tons!


Elder Dorrance