Thursday, January 30, 2014
It begins...
Today I have officially started the Dover Daily Family Blog. I have to admit- I am a little nervous to have another thing I become enslaved to keep up. However, as part of my New Year's resolutions, I have determined to archive the most important events in the lives of the most important people to me. I don't fancy having everything published on the web and so I will proceed with caution. I must also confess- I am a little excited to compile my digital files onto one link. Perhaps eventually I will be able to paste much of this on familysearch.org, but for now, I will be content with the work load I have before me to create missionary blogs for Jenessa and Alec, who have both been out now nearly 10 months. Eventually, I hope to publish the posts in book form for our whole family to finally enjoy, rather than keep everything on a dozen different devices, folders, files, books and journal entries written and unwritten. So, I say to myself...Happy Blogging!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Elder Alec Dover
Le Miracle 7.2 (Agen, France)
Well since World War II has not ended we decided to take it up a notch. We had the BEST week ever! Seriously. I havent taught that many lessons, sparked so many people nor had so many people at church...Plus my bestest best friend called me and gave me a referral!
Then i think i forgot to mention that we started teaching a guy named Jean-Luc. He is quite different. He just lives alone, and spends a little too much time on his computer looking for signs of aliens...haha one of his theories is that Angel Moroni is actually an alien race that looks exactly like humans but they have a brilliant white appearance...so they appeared and told Joseph Smith to create the church..ha that was fun to set him straight this week.
So Vivian is doing well and we decided to return the the Restoration for a refresher and explain things a little more simply! (and we get to teach her 2 adorable kids this week!)
Then we taught a less active family and their nonmember friend, Michael. We had given Michael the introduction of the BoM to read in preparation for the rdv and when we asked if he had done it he (without looking) basically recited the whole thing...we were very impressed. We taught him the restoration and he understood everything so well. It was an awesome rdv. He said at the end he wanted to be baptized if he were to gain a testimony...If he keeps going the way he is going I know he will receive an answer to his prayers. We invited him and the family to come to church.. it came down to a "I'll go if you go..." thing and then we passed the family to wake them up at 8h45 and then in the middle of the first hour... 8people randomly filed into the room. The family of 6 (havent been to church for 3 months) sister of the mom (hasnt been to church for almost a year) and Michael (first time)!!! making 24 people at church! NEW RECORD!!! yeeeeeeeeeeaaaahhh!
Plus we had the Murer couple that moved in! We spent a lot of time builing and moving furniture for them and as a end result neither of us have heat or hot water.... yipeee! who loves cold showers in the winter?? The Missionaries in Agen!!! haha dont worry we are working on it...i think.
There are other rdvs that we had but i dont remember them. Oh! and one night i got a call from my best friend in Carcassonne! Soeur Hodder had a referral for me! That was cool to talk to her for a little bit.
And today we went to a ville called Villeneuve sur Lot...for fun and to look up some less actives. Well we were 1/2!! The other one is probably in the spirit world because she is 99 years old and she doesnt live at the address anymore nor does the phone work...but the other one said to come back another time and fix a rdv. good thing because we couldnt have taught her alone anyways. but while we were just looking around the ville we were stopped by a guy named Stephan. He saw my plaque and stopped me saying he'd seen americans like me before.. haha but he thought i was french and elder peters was american.. that was kinda funny. that happens a lot with us two. kinda funny. but he invited us over to have a drink (of orange juice) and he was really cool. he threw out his cigarette when we said we dont smoke. He asked us to forgive him. He then showed us around the ville! It was so cool! Got a tour from a Villeneuvois! He then gave us his phone number and said to call him and we'd talk next time we came to town. Very nice guy. Cant wait to go back!
Well I hope all yall had a good week like I did! Set some good goals and work hard for them! It works! Love yall!
Elder Alec Stephen Dover
P.S. La Garonne is flooding... everyone is freaking out.
pictures: the flood, classic french man look, villeneuve today, and soup party!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
January 26, 2014
Dear Family and Friends,
Today I turned 10 months old in the mission! AH!!!! Im so old in the mission!!! Time is flying by so fast! This week was a week of miracles and the lesson I learned was that the Lord works in strange and mysterious ways! With my new companion we had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to each other but over all we were okay haha.. But the funny thing is I and even my leaders had been praying that everything would be okay in our companionship so that we could help our investigators and be happy of sourse.. Im sharing this becuase I want to chare the beautiful experience I had this week and it is a little bit personal that we had a hard time but heres the thing- I prayed a lot and even fasted that our companionship would be okay and then....... On Wednesday my companion had a asthma attack and it was a little serious.. She ended up having to go to the hospital and the wife of the mission I PResident and the doctor requested her to stay inside for 5 days to rest... AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prisoner ako for sure but it was a blessing in disuise...I got to go on exchanges and work Im sure so that I wouldnt go crazy and our investigators were even upset we hadnt visited them in a while! WOw! right?! And the thing I want to chare is we had to much time to sit in the apartment and talk about EVERYTHHING that things are not just okay they are WONDERFUL and we are now like best friends! WOw right... I mean its been crazy with the asthma attack and even the APS and the Senior couples and mission PResident and wife have been top our house in the past 4 days yeah wow right??? Its been crazy for sure lol But things are getting better and to end the week we saw Herbert- pour old investigator at church on Sunday and we are giving him a baptismal day tomorrow! :) And Marjorie the one with the baby wwas at church again and wants to be baptized!!! YAY!!!! For a successful and happy week! Prayers would be amazing for my companion shes still really sick anf its hard for hwer to breathe but she'll be okay :)
Also our mission President is home having surgery in the States and we have a temporary Mission president and his wife- the old mission President of Ilolo mission and they are the ones that came to our apartment and helped my companion this week with a nebulizer haha! Prayers would be great for our mission president too so he can come back but the I love the temporary Mission President! I love leaders of their church they are amazing! Love you all lots thankd for everything! Just remember that Heavenly Father always answers our prayers in strange and mysterious ways!
Love Sister Jenessa Dover
Monday, January 20, 2014
January 20, 2014 at 12:09:28 AM CST
Dear Family and Friends!
Im still here in Rosales and its hot and sweaty during the day and cold at night that i even wear sweats and a sweatshirt! Who knew! But Im here still and my new companion is Sister Alvarez from Bicol! Shes great!This has been a great last couple of days with the work! We found new investigators and I think three have potential. One is a caretaker for an brother in the church who is 90+ years old but the investigator is 18 and lives with this member family and goes to church every sunday and was excited to recieve his own Book of Mormon, but he is 18. Another family we have been teaching and the wife Jenny is a sister in law to a recent convert and best friends with the first councelor in Relief Society and the problem is she is really steady catholic and her husband doesnt really want to listen so shes shy. But we taught all of Lesson 1 of the Restoration with her best friend ( the member) and at the end of our last lesson we had her pray to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet and if our message was true and she did. The spirit was so strong as she prayed and started to cry but then her prayer changed... She started praying that Heavenly Father would understand her and accept that she doesnt want to change and that He would just her strong faith. I was so surprised. She knows its true but she doesnt want to act... We talked to her after the prayer and she doesnt feel that this is her time cause she doesnt want to change religion. But that experience, Sister Alvarez, Sister Rose ( best friend) me and Jenny all know she recieved her answer and that its true. The spirit was so strong is touched all of us I will never forget it. We set a return appointment but on sunday she texted her best friend and told her to tell us she isnt ready to change religions and doesnt really want to hear the lessons anymore and to tell us nd hopes we understand.. I'll admit I cried a little bit because its sad and she knows its true. But we do have one last lesson with her thrusday and I asked Bishop to come with us and his wife because they know Jennys husband.. This is our last chance and yes maybe she just really isnt ready..I think that maybe its just not her time even though thats hard but we have one last leson to try.
We saw a miracle last night though. We had a progressing investigator last month but he started drinking again and started hiding from us so we dropped him for a month. We were going to dinner at our Bishops house last night but I had such a strong feeling to go to Herbert, the dropped investigtor for his wife who is a recent convert to check on her and our bishop and his wife drove us there and came and we met him! At first Herbert was she again but when he saw Bishop he acted different and remembered he was Bishop and let us teach him and his whole family! He told us he is just shy to go to church cause he has been an investigator so long and yet he told us that he knows the church is true and wants to be baptized so we commit him to prepare now and give up the word of wisdom and he said yes and told Bishop he will see him on Sunday! We are going to his house tonight for an FHE with Bishop and he set a return appointment with us this week too! Bishop also told us he would be his fellowshipper till hes batpized!!! So many miracles!!! That is one of the best things and Herbert looks like he can be ready if he works hard to give up cigarettes.
Love you all the work is progressing here a lot and thanks for all your support and love to me!!! You are in my prayers espcially Julianna with her Biopsy this week! Stay strong!Love Sister Jenessa Dover
Elder Alec Dover
Le Miracle 7.1 (Agen, France)
"Men, it's been a long war, it's been a tough war. "
and it ain't over yet! World War II continues. We thought it'd be over before Christmas.... guess not. Elder Peters and I are seriously thrilled to stay for a third transfer together. (for those who dont know i say WWII because an American, a German in France is a fun reference...)
Agen! Petit Agen. Je suis agenais maintenant...c'est vrai! Sooooo this week! Good thing my journal is getting good usage every night because I honestly do not remember what we did last week. So sadly i will have to tell you what i remember...not even 1/20th of what we did.
So no clue what we did monday or tuesday. Wednesday was ridiculous. We taught a girl named Aurore at Sam and Luka's home. It was kinda funny because it was Elder Peters, Sam, Luka and I teaching one girl. So if she didnt understand what one person said another would explain something better. It was cool that Sam (who himself isnt a member - dont worry we are working on that) taught half of the lesson. Then we were going to leave because we had an apartment check with the senior couple from bordeaux but they called and said that they would be an hour late.. which was a big problem because that means we would miss our train to bordeaux so we could go on exchange. Well...they said theyd drive us back to bordeaux. Ok. So they showed up later than they said and there was traffic sooooo while Elder Gee and I were supposed to take a train at 18h to get back to Agen we missed it and that was the only train that would get us home in time. Soooo lucky me (of course not expecting this so i had nothing with me) had to spend the night in bordeaux. Then we took a train the next morning but instead of doing the 2 villes we all blitzed agen. So Elder Peters and Leduc went in the south of agen to work all day and I stuck with Elder Gee in centre ville! Plus! we did a monster day meaning pack a lunch and really just focus on work. go crazy all day until time to go in! So that is what we did. Elder Gee and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other better and also talking to everyone! We talked to 200 people i think. for agen that is unheard of for one day. We also taught sam the plan of salvation. it was a lot of fun discussing that with sam and luka. While we were there Elder Gee inherited a nickname! He is Lurch. hahaha. I doont remember if I have told mine but Luka and Sam call me Mickey. and Elder Peters is AngelFace.
I dont remember friday either.
Saturday we went and did our home teaching in a ville called Auch. 1.5hour bus away from home. It was fun. We did a little followup on everyone in the branch creating a personal missionary plan. it was fun. One of our members named Philippe lives in a hospital for mentally crazy people....he asked for some brochures about the missionary lessons so elder peters gave him a few and as soon as we left i could hear philippe running around saying "10€ Brochures! 10€" I laughed so hard. It has been a while since I have laughed so hard. Our member turned to us and said "philippe est en forme aujourd'hui." yeah.....he was full of energy. that was fun. Then we passed a less active and talked to her and her little son for a little. then we went home.
Yesterday sam came to church again! he is starting to show some progression! Elder Peters and I are thrilled about that! He would be such an awesome member he just has to do a few things and get baptized...soon. Everyone in Agen seems to be happy that we are both staying. I am too. We will have the Murer couple arriving this week so that will be a fun change.
Bonne semaine! Love all y'all!
Elder Alec Stephen Dover
pictures are from auch
Monday, January 13, 2014
Elder Alec Dover
Le Miracle 6.6 Agen, France
Ha. Done. Transfer 7 begins next week. It passes so fast. Well I am sure up to this point many of you are wondering the answer to the question, "What is the weirdest thing you have eaten on your mission?" Well I finally have an answer for yall...
Zèbre is the winner...Zebra. I just ate Zebra. An hour ago...but...IT WAS SO GOOD!!
So last week we had some good fun. Though i do not specifically remember what we did. Well there is this one sister in our branch that we feel doesnt really like us so we went to her house and said "we will be here on friday at 15h to do some work either in your house or in the garden..." she was shocked but gladly accepted. So we washed all of her windows. Afterwards she got us some cake and some thing to drink and we played a game together with her grandson... It was a lot of fun and she showed that she was really grateful for what we did. Yesterday at church she has never been so nice to me before. It worked! ;) Now we have to bring her cookies or something...
We had a lot of fun going and teaching and porting and contacting people on the streets. It was kinda slow this week but that is alright! Also I have been doing a lot of work for a senior couple that is from Switzerland that is coming to Agen next week! I had to take care of a lot of work on the side of searching apartments for them and also finding out a lot of things about the apartments that they want to know. Definitely something I have never done before but it was a lot of fun. Frère Murer usually calls me every day giving me another task to do for him and Elder Peters just follows me. Kinda funny but it is fun. If I stay next transfer it will be nice to have this couple here to help out the branch.
Also.. remember how in the summer i told all yall about something called SOLDES? well they are back... Stuff is cheap (everything) For example I bought about 200-250€ worth of clothes for about 75€..merry christmas!
Bonne semaine! Pictures are proof of Zebra and our game...and the house we have church in every sunday...
Elder Alec Stephen Dover
January 13, 2014 in Rosales
Dear Family and Friends,
This week was a little bit of an enduring one not to be a downer, but I have been sick 5 days with a fever and cold, but its okay! Its getting better! We had a good week! We found 9 new investigators this week and 3 are a referral that went to church. They are two sisters who went to church and they are both young mothers of 18 and 20 years old. But after church we went to their home and taught them and they are potential! We are going back later this week!
At church we also had 8 less actives which was a miracle! Yay for the rescue!
But we have another investigator we are going to tomorrow and she is looking for the truth and has been baptized into different churches 3 times and is a little skeptical of us and yet welcomes us. She wants to know the truth and yet she doesnt believe in baptism to one church. She believes that our faith can save us alone, but tomorrow we will address more about that and we are going with a returning less active so hopefully we can help her! We taught about Joseph Smith and she said she believes but we will work on her belief about baptism. The work is moving and yes its hard sometimes but the Lord really is hastening His work and we are ALL apart of it!!! :)
This week we also have transfers!!! So I may get transferred but I think my companion Sister Lee will since shes been here almost 5 months. IT will be a nice thing the new transfer but the old one brought a lot of things to learn from and we are so blessed to each have a part in the Lords Vineyard!
Love you all! Hope yall are keeping warm!
Love Sister Jenessa Dover
* The pic is of my area!! <3 the Philippines!
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