August 31, 2015

This week has been good because I had an ice cream birthday cake from one of my investigators! Also my zone had a sleep over at the zone leader's apartment. Each week it gets a little harder to write about my experience for a certain week because the longer I've been out the more everything blends together. But I'll do my best.

The week started off well because we started talking to a less active member. In the past she treated the missionarys less then well and stopped coming to church. So the missionaries stopped trying to contact her. As I was doing my daily planning Sunday night,  I was looking for people who I should call. And her named jumped out at me. I told my companion I was going to call her and he warned me against it because how rude she has been in the past. I felt that I should still call her. So I called her and my companion was super surprised when she was super exited to set up an appointment with us and to have us teach her family. When we went over to her house we found out why she became less active. Her oldest daughter had died, which lead her to become depressed which lead her to alcohol and smoking. So the day that I called her she knelt down and prayed in the morning asking for God to help her. Later that day she recieved a call from the missionaries. So now we are working with her and she is trying to give up smoking and is starting to come back to church.

One of my investigators, Alex (the one who keeps sending my mom pictures of me and my companion) found out it was my birthday and bought me a cake. He is also insisting that on our P day he will take us to Niagra Falls. So I'm not going to argue with him. We have been teaching him a lot. He's been going to church with us and reading the Book of Mormon. He was converted Catholic when he was 19 and has been super devout to his faith. But he has had a lot of experiences recently with Mormons that he believes it isn't a coincidence. Which is why he is meeting up with us.

Last night we had the sleep over with the other Elders. It was super fun and we did the cinnamon challenge and other fun stuff. We stayed up till 2 am talking. Which I am now feeling the effects of.

Look forward to sharing next week's experience with all of you!

Elder Ditty

August 28, 2015

Elder Ditty's investigator, Alex, sent this text:

Guess who's celebrating birthday today?  :)

As my lesson coincided with Elder Ditty's birthday, I ordered a nice ice cream cake (cookies and cream flavor) as a surprise.  

When one slice is not enough . . .
It was so delicious that even the Book of Mormon had to wait for a bit.   :)
Your son, in particular, was very happy.  It is important for him to feel acknowledged now that he is far away from his family, serving God in a most genuine way.
Greetings from Toronto!

August 24, 2015

So this last week has been very successful. Me and my companion were fortunate to teach a ton of lessons to investigators and less active members. It was great to see a lot of them attend church with us. One of my favorite things about my mission so far is meeting so many different people from so many different cultural backgrounds. It's a great experience. It's also awesome trying out all the different food that is here.

The weather is starting to get colder here! And all the locals are starting to freak out.  Apparently they're not big fans of the winter here. But I'm looking forward to the colder weather because the last month has been hot and humid.

It's fun doing street contacting because you get to talk to all sorts of UNIQUE people. One person said that he believed that heaven was on Jupiter. Often times imams from the Muslim faith will come up to me and try and convert me to become a Muslim. But most of the time they are friendly people.

Each week I am out here I like being a missionary more and more. I'm learning so much and meeting so many great people.

Thanks so much for all your support and prayers!
Elder Ditty

August 23, 2015

Text from Alex:

Dear Mrs. Ditty,

I am forwarding you another picture of your son, taken a couple of hours ago as he taught Sunday School after worship.  This is him with Elder Moffat.  The funniest thing was when Elder Ditty was talking about Jesus' obedience to his father and he mentioned his own experience from the time "he was a child" in relation to his obedience to you, his parents (assuming that at age 18 he is now an adult).  :)

This statement coming from an 18-year old put a loving smile on the face of all class participants.  :)

You should be proud of your son.

Greetings from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alex

August 17, 2015

I can see the cn tower from my apartment.

Kyle's Email to Mom

Alex is a great guy.  He came to church with us for the first hour yesterday. He's super intelligent and a devout Catholic.  He attends mass in Latin.  He was approached by the Catholics a few years ago to go train in Italy to become a high position in their faith but he didn't because he has a good job he didn't want to give up.  So it might take time for him to accept everything we believe, but I have a good feeling about it.  He regards the Book of Mormon as holy scripture.  He has been losing sleep, waking up at all hours of the night and when he wakes up he reads the Book of Mormon. He made a joke saying that Mormon missionaries have been disturbing his very comfortable life.  He wants us to teach him about genealogy tomorrow, so I'm going to bring the laminated papers you gave to me of our ancestry.  The most interesting thing I've eaten so far is cow liver ha ha. Hey,  I'm also learning how to cut my own hair.

Kyle's Email to Dad
The days are starting to blur together.  I'm starting to be able to navigate my way around town -- a little.  The mission strategy has changed.  Before we were just trying to find investigators, but now we are trying to strengthen inactives.  The activity rate in Toronto is 25% so we're trying to bring it up, and through bringing it up we hope that we will get referrals for new people to teach. Nothing really new this week though.

August 12, 2015

I received this photo and text message from Elder Ditty's investigator, Alex.

Dear Mrs Ditty,
My name is Alex, from Toronto, Canada. Your son, Elder Ditty, asked me to forward this picture to you. This is him and Elder Moffat from Utah, at my home in Toronto a couple of days ago giving me my first lesson on LDS Church and The Book of Mormon. You should be very proud of your son, who at such young age, is a great testimony of God's grace. Thank you.

August 10, 2015

Kyle's Email to Mom
I have an awesome investigator named Alex. He's the nicest guy and has the coolest story. Alex was 14 in Croatia during the Balkan wars in the 1990s. His parents were high up in the government. During the course of the war he lost a lot of family. During the war the town he was in was under siege.  The only relief the town got was from the LDS church.  He said our church had saved him and thousands of people in the town.  He came into Canada during the war as a refugee and hadn't had an encounter with the church since. But then one day he got a cd about a Mormon who converted to Catholicism. The cd just made him super curious, so he studied more about Mormons.  He thought everything about us was bizarre. Then one day while driving he said Joseph Smith and his history all of a sudden made sense to him.  Then 3 days latter he runs into missionaries (me and my companion). We taught him a lesson and he took a picture of us and said that if he does convert that he will show the picture of us to people and say that we were the missionaries that taught him.  He thinks that running into us is more than a coincidence and that he has a deep respect for us and that we are truly representatives of Jesus. He is astonished that the church has kids go out all over the world and preach. Alex is a great guy and offered to buy us dinner and take us to the cn tower.  He is super wealthy by the way.  He loves just about everything towards the church. There are a few things that he has doubts about, but we'll teach him the best that we can. Love ya.

Note:  I was so excited when Kyle finally sent photos using the camera I bought him.  Being the outdoorsman that he is, I shouldn't be that surprised that the photos were of a beaver and pigeons.

"We found a lake close by and we saw a beaver."

"We have two baby pigeons out side our balcony door. Each day they keep getting bigger."

 

Kyle's Email to Dad
Hey dad hows it going? It's crazy that I've already been gone a month. 23 more to go. I've had some crazy experiences. I've had some pretty crazy encounters with people haha.  One person thought Ozzy Osborne was a prophet of God. I had a Muslim get on the ground and tried to have me pray like him in front of a crowd of people.  I said no,  and then he called me an Atheist and said I thought I was better then Jesus.   One other time I was at an apartment and a guy pulled the fire alarm because someone had stolen his stolen beer and he wanted the cops to show up.  The poorer people here are crazy.  But I found out that within 5 minutes in a car from my apartment are multi million dollar homes. It's crazy how segregated things are here. In the million dollar homes everyone is white while in my apartment area everyone is black.  One of my investigators is in the area with the millions of dollars and he is in a super nice apartment building that he has to pay almost 2000 bucks a month for and it only has one room. He is the nicest guy. Ask mom for the story when you get home.  Love ya.

August 4, 2015

Kyle's Email to Mom
Hey mom whats up! how are things going? my mailing address is 15 Harding Avenue #1518 Ontario Canada. My mission has been cool so far. The people here are from Jamaica and they have thick accents. My MTC companion I hated but my companion in the field is pretty cool. Toronto so far has been hot and humid.  Everyone says theres no middle ground its either to hot or to cold. Its crazy seeing such tall buildings.  I'm on the 15th floor of my apartment. Ill try and send pics. Love you and keep me updated.   The reason I'm emailing you on Tuesday is because yesterday was a Canadian holiday.

15 Harding Avenue

Google Earth View.  Apartment is the red dot.  Hyde Park is to the right.

Kyle's Email to Dad 
Toronto is hot and humid. I'm in Weston. It's in the ghetto and there's a ton of first generation immigrants from Jamaica. They're super good to me and my companion because they believe in Jesus and are wanting to hear quick messages about Jesus.  There's also a lot of immigrants from Africa and Eastern Europe. There's so many different cultures here its crazy. There's not a ton of white people though.  They're in the better areas. But I've been learning so much about the church its crazy. My MTC companion sucked but my companion in the field is cool. Keep me updated with everything. Love you. The reason I'm emailing you on Tuesday is because yesterday was a Canadian holiday.

July 28, 2015

Elder Ditty's 1st Companion -- Elder Moffat from Utah

WEATHERFORD T. Clayton, President

CANADA TORONTO MISSION
1624 Wanless Dr
Brampton, ON   L7A 0A7
Phone: 905-452-7484

28 July 2015

Mr. and Mrs. James Ditty

520 Sterling Point Drive

Medford, OR 97504

Dear Brother and Sister Ditty,

We are grateful to receive your son, Elder Kyle Ditty as a new missionary in the Canada Toronto Mission.  We are including a picture that we took with him when he arrived.  His testimony and enthusiasm for the work are evident.  As his mission president and wife, we thank you for the sacrifice you are making in being separated from him in serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Dedicated service to the Lord brings many blessings. As a full-time servant of the Lord, Elder Ditty will be blessed with a greater knowledge of the gospel and a more vibrant testimony.  He will touch the hearts of many people, and those whom he will teach will be able to change their lives as they receive the peace and knowledge that comes through the gift and power of the Holy Ghost. “Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life.” (Mosiah 28:7) 

Elder Ditty’s current address is:

15 Harding Avenue #1518

Toronto, ON M6M 0A4

Canada

We are sure that Elder Ditty will love his mission as he is devoted to and focused on the Lord’s work.  We promise to love and care for him.  We testify of the truthfulness of this marvellous work of bringing souls to a knowledge of the Savior.

Serving a full time mission can be the most significant and rewarding experience in a young person’s life.  It is rigorous and challenging and requires great spiritual focus.  Successful and happy missionaries abide by a strict code of conduct and obedience. Thank you for supporting and sustaining your missionary in this great work.

Once again, we thank you for the faith you have shown to the Lord and the sacrifices that you are making.  We feel it a great privilege and responsibility to care for your missionary while he serves the Lord and pray daily for his happiness, well-being, and success.

With love and gratitude,

Weatherford T. Clayton

President

MTC

Fellow Elders in the  MTC

Highlights of Kyle's Email July 21, 2015
Tell everyone that I love and miss them.  I'll be heading to Toronto on Monday.  I'm going to be waking up at 2:30 am and leaving the airport at 7:30 am.  I will arrive in Detroit at around 1 pm and leave at about 3 pm.  I will arrive in Toronto at about 4:30ish.  My favorite thing to do at the MTC is play soccer with the other Elders.  They let us play in the late afternoon so I get to watch the sunset over the far mountains to the West and have those huge mountains with the giant Y to the East.   All while playing soccer.  The flute that I got has been really fun.  The other Elders love the Lord of the Rings song.  Last night the district got into an arm wrestling competition.  It has been great meeting these other elders.  Such a better quality of people than what I'm used to back at South Medford.  One of the people in my District is from Alberta, Canada and he's going to Toronto for his mission.  haha that would stink.  The other missionaries in my district are going to a mission that's close to Jimmy's mission.  They have no clue what they're getting into.  I met one Elder from Dorcheshire, England.  He's going to France for his mission to speak Spanish.  So they flew him to Provo just to fly him back to Europe in a month because the England MTC doesn't teach Spanish.  Know how my Patriarchial Blessing  said I might teach people who never have heard of Jesus.  Well, my companion said that there are a lot of crazy religions there that don't worship Jesus.  So I might have to teach people that there is an all powerful God. That might be tough to get them to believe that if they believe in reincarnation.  My companion said this without knowing anything about my Patriarchial Blessing.

Kyle's Letter Mailed from the MTC
Hey family!  Since I have a lot of people emailing me, I'll write letters to you guys just to sum up my experiences.  The first day at the MTC I was in a haze.  I had no clue what was going on.  I was in a strange place with only strangers.  Over the course of my time here I've worked incredibly hard.  We're studying 14 hours a day.  I used to think 3 hours once a week was rough.  I've learned more about the church in my limited time here then I did my whole life.  I've experienced a ton of highs but an equal amount of lows.  We went into the Provo Temple today.  It was an awesome experience.  It is huge and super elaborate.  The food here is pretty good, but it makes you go and give you gas.  There's a rumor that someone is spiking the orange juice with laxatives.  One of my teachers is from the South and she has a southern accent.  The MTC has been the most unique experience of my life.  All the people here are sacrificing so much to serve the Lord.  They work so hard and study on their free time.   Prayer is something that you see constantly here.  Most days we get gym time.  I usually play soccer with the other Elders.  It's fun because they suck (ha ha).  Each day here goes faster and faster.  I'm super excited for when I leave to Canada.  Mainly because I'll be outside.  I won't be in a tiny class room the size of Jimmy's room with 10 other people.  It's making me loose my mind.  Right now my companion and I have some spare time so he's telling me about the Marvel Universe.  Today a new batch of missionaries arrived.  They're all so happy.  All the other missionaries who have been here for awhile are saying that the new people's world is about to get flipped upside down.  I especially feel bad for the poor souls who have to be here 3 months.  On of my doom room members has night terrors.  He keeps waking up in the night talking about spiders and snakes.  There's a missionary in my District who hurt himself so he's on pain pills that make him high.  He is so out of it when we are in class it's pretty funny.  The next time I write you a letter I will be in Canada!  Remember to email me and write more than a couple sentences!!!  Love you guys.

July 15, 2015

A kiss goodbye for Buster, then off to the airport.

Kyle and Spencer Kimball

Look what we observed from the observation deck.   Sister Parks taking a photo of Kyle . . .

 . . . .then texting it to us later that day!

A quick tour of BYU before Donna and Jim Knudsen and their daughter Ann took Kyle to the Provo MTC.

A warm welcome by the MTC Host Missionaries

Farewell Weekend

It's been an incredible week as family and friends gather to wish Kyle farewell.

One last swim in Leah's pool

 

One last hike to Roxy Ann with Spencer Kimball

Goodbye from life-long friend Jacob Nelson

Endowments

Kyle took out his endowments in the Medford Oregon Temple on July 9, 2015.

Mission Call

Kyle Ditty received his mission call to the Canada Toronto Mission on March 17, 2015.  He reports to the Provo Missionary Training center July 15 to prepare to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in English.  He is so excited to serve a foreign mission!

Toronto, Canada

President Weatherford T. Clayton and Sister Clayton