Merry Christmas!

Every Monday is basically Christmas to me. It's like coming downstairs and seeing all of your presents surrounding the tree, only my presents are emails from loved ones. This is only an analogy, by the way; I don't want emails for Christmas.

Hearing from your family really is the best present ever, honestly. It's so nice to sit down on Monday mornings and find out everything is alright; the world just keeps moving on. This past week has absolutely flown by, and I can barely believe I've been out over a month. It's insane.

As far as investigators go, Elder Millar and I got to attend Jasons wedding this past Saturday in one of the local chapels. It was really small but very endearing, and he thanked us for being there. Afterwards, he looked at us, smiled, and said "Next stop, baptism". It's awesome that he's starting to talk about baptism unprompted; we meet with him tomorrow night and hopefully we can nail down a date and start working towards it all. He's a good man who understands the gospel and has gained his own testimony. He just really needs to understand how his faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can help him overcome his addictions; we pray for him daily.

As a mission we fasted on Sunday for finding new investigators, and hopefully something will arise this week. While we were on exchanges a new referral came in, so we're going to check on that come tonight or tomorrow. Our numbers weren't very good for last week (everyone and their mom is out of town) but this next coming week school starts, which means everyone who's here for the long haul will be staying here. A girl that was taught last year is moving back from Wyoming, and she wants to be baptized; her name is Cassidy Jones, so we'll keep you updated on that. I'm in the habit of saying "we" now, so excuse me if that constantly slips out.

I sent the flashdrive today with all the photos. I won't be needing my bike for, at the least, another four weeks. A transfer is every six weeks and I bet I'll be in Logantucky for about another transfer, so I'll be sure to holler if I need a bike. To answer your question Mom, it (the mail) goes to the mission office and then they immediately forward it, so perishables should be fine.

Everything is starting to gel lately, and it's kind of rockin'. I feel comfortable with the area now, can get around pretty well, and have met a large portion of the member base, including all Bishops, the Stake Pres, etc. I'm getting used to life in the field pretty well, too; this past week flew and the MTC craaawwwwlllled along. The district here in Moapa Valley isn't NEARLY as close as my district in the MTC (we're all awesome friends) but we're still really close; one of the Spanish Elders, Elder Perea, calls me hermanito, making him my hermonote. He says I sound like a mexican and asked if I have any hispanic blood; thought that was pretty funny.

Honestly, I had a difficult time at the MTC with every person I passed having a different language on their nametag. It took me about a week to realize that we're all striving for the same purpose, regardless of language. I can come home and learn a language; for these two years, I have to learn and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What an awesome and incredible responsibility. I'm so incredibly grateful and sometimes intimidated with the amount of responsibility I feel, knowing the truth and the goodness of this wonderful Gospel, and having to share it. I pray for the strength to do so every single day.

On Sunday, I walked in to Logandale 3rd ward and a member of the bishopric came up and asked me to be the first speaker. For the first time in my life, I've been 0% prepared; a lot of times I play off like I'm not prepared at all for things like that, but really I map out a plan in my head and I'm ready. This wasn't like that at all. I walked up to the podium with my Book of Mormon and no idea what I was going to say. After getting the congregation laughing with a jab at the plethora of common last names (Leavitts, Waites, Johnsons - the valley is inbred like you cannot beLIEVE), I felt impressed to share a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants, section 100. Ironically enough, it was about opening your mouth to share the Gospel and the Holy Ghost filling your mouth and inspiring your utterances. I challenged the congregation to take that approach to sharing the Gospel with their friends and family, and testified of the truety of those words. Little did they all know, I was gaining that testimony that very moment. Way cool.

I love you guys with everything that I am. Thank you for your messages and testimonies. Don't quit being awesome missionaries just because I'm set apart and full time! The members are the real missionaries.

So much crazy love,

Jesse

p.s. no one here appreciates great cinema. You know how hard it is for me to communicate when no one has seen The Princess Bride, The Blues Brothers, or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

p.s.s......chickenwire?

Sunsets here are awesome

My castle and trusty steed

MTC district on temple day

Tasty rainbow

Studying at the MTC

First Week in the Field

Elders Ete, Driggs, Dowdle, and Millar

Elder Dowdle

Random Elder, Elder Millar, Elder Dowdle

I guess I'll start off by saying I'm writing this from the family history center in Logandale, Nevada, my first area.  I'm in the Mesquite Zone, which is the furthest east the mission goes, as well as the most out in the country; Elder Jesse Millar (my trainer) and I are over the Logandale area, which covers FIVE WARDS, so we're kept pretty busy. Elder Millar has been here for a transfer already, so he knows the area pretty well as well as some members. It's about 45% LDS here, 35% less active and the rest of the nonmember population has been tracted so often in the past 20 years they're very hard to approach, so the work is difficult. We do little to no contacting and work almost completely off of referrals, which are slim. We have three investigators right now, one progressing, and I'll talk more about him in a little bit.

On the hour drive from Vegas, I talked to Elder Millar a lot about the area. Elder Millar and I have been trying a new approach that has led to two more investigators this week. Gaining member trust is extremely important here, and without it we can do virtually nothing. We report to five different Ward Mission Leaders. There are a bunch of quality members here, but it's almost sort of eerie too; the small-town-everybody-knows-everything-about-everyone feel is odd to me. We pulled up to our wonderful homestead: a single-wide trailer on a dirt road haha. I actually love it, though; it's lived in with nice AC and we just installed the shower ourselves, so that's pretty cool, huh? To give you kind of an idea of the lifestyle down here: the Elders Quorum activity in Logandale First ward was Pancakes and Shotguns. We went out to the desert, cooked breakfast and about ten guys shot skeet for a couple hours. Honestly, it was way fun and I was really wishing I could participate.

The one investigator we have that is progressing is a man named Jason VanMiddendorp. He's kind of a hick and in his 40's, and his long time girlfriend is a less active. On our second visit with him, he let us in and started speaking really seriously about what he's been reading. We looked around and he had a Book of Mormon, Gospel Principles, and Restoration packet open and all marked up with highlighters. He was shooting so many questions at us we were struggling to answer them consecutively. He's been praying and reading and feels that it's true and has said he knows he'll go "swimmin'" (be baptized) eventually, but it's the Word of Wisdom that's kicking his butt. He bailed on the 12 step program once before, so we're praying and hoping that he'll find the strength to over come that.

Not much else needs to be reported; I'm loving actually being out in the field and getting things done. I can't believe it's been a week in Logantucky already...it's incredible. I finally downloaded all the pictures to a flashdrive so I'll send that out today or tomorrow. As far as needing things go, I don't think I need these things as bad as I want them: a couple pairs of shorts that aren't basketball shorts, all of dads Peru ties, and (if you feel comfortable) a journal from your mission, dad. I've never gotten to read all through those so I feel like it'd be a testimony booster/really cool to see how you were feeling at my age. 'Tis up to you guys, though.

I love you all so much and I can't wait to hear from you!

Address:
Elder Jesse Dowdle
Nevada Las Vegas West Mission
4455 Allen Ln #140
North Las Vegas, Nevada
89031

Much love,
Jesse

Last week at the MTC

So week 2 and 3 have been pretty smooth so far! I've been learning a ton and I'm amazed at how much I've grown from the first lesson I've taught to the 30th. Yes, 30th. I really recommend everybody read or watch Elder Hollands talk "Miracle in a Mission"; it changed my life, really. In there he says "the first thing you will be when someone tells you they didn't read the Book of Mormon or they didn't pray is be devastated! Their eternal salvation is at stake; you aren't trying to get them to the font, you're trying to get them to the temple. I hadn't ever really thought of missionary work that way, and doing so has opened so many doors as far as lessons and inspiration goes. Oh, real quick, I just remembered: as far as departure goes, I leave the MTC on August 6th. I believe (not sure) that we get to call home in the airport. I keep hearing different things, so it's not certain, but my plane leaves at 8:35 MST so expect a call maybe kinda maybe a couple hours before that. Maybe. It'd be cool, right?

Mom had asked some questions in her latest DearElder, so I'll answer a couple: I get up at 6:30, and it's easy. Easier than anything. The first thing I do is roll off of my bed and on to my Iron Gym. I study more than I ever had in my entire life; school will be a breeze after this. I study for maybe 5 or 6 hours a day, in everything: Preach My Gospel, The Bible, the Book of Mormon, D&C, PoGP, etc, etc. But I'm seriously learning an incredible amount; my teachers are all recently returned missionaries that know their stuff. Grandma wanted to know how laundry is going, so let her know it's going great; did two loads this morning. I also got to do a session in the Provo temple with my district today, and that was pretty much awesome. It was what everybody needed; everyone is mellow and happy now. It's amazing how being in the Lords house can make such a difference in just about every aspect.

I heard about Katies talk and I'm so jealous I didn't get to hear it personally! She sent me her rough draft and from what I read, it sounded absolutely phenomenal. I usually get up there and dance around for ten minutes; she had some rock hard doctrine in there from a prophet of God. Seriously, incredible talk and incredible testimony, I wish I could have been there.

How is everyone? It's great you guys are getting to work out and stuff; I have gym time five days a week and have been spending most of it playing basketball or volleyball, honestly. Life is too short to not waste it on team sports. Speaking of team sports, I sincerely appreciate your sports update on the Utes; keep that stuff coming. Reading about it is pretty much better than watching it, because I can imagine it so much better than it probably really is. Such is the life of a football deprived Utah fan.

I'm not able to download my photos to a flash drive in the MTC, so I toyed with sending the memory card in the mail. Then I thought: they probably want some pictures of the airport and leaving the MTC too, so I'll just wait until I get to the mission home/first area to send the flash drive. That way you'll have pictures AND a return address. Win/Win situation.

I absolutely love you guys and can't wait to maybe talk to you on Monday. If I don't, I will be missing an email day due to travel so the following Monday (I think) will be the next time I can communicate. Don't be shy with sending emails though!

Love,

Jesse.