Last email of 2014!

 

 

Hi!

So, this week was really great. On Monday we had a short p-day and then we went and visited Vita Williams, we had a really great lesson with her and talked to her a lot about the Plan of Salvation and Jesus Christ and how it can help her in her situation. Vita is a 42 year old woman who has been beaten several times by different partners, she has a court date in a few weeks to testify against the man  who most recently beat her. She has post traumatic stress disorder and probably some other mental problems too. We went back again yesterday and her door was hanging open, and her TV was on, but she wasn't there. Talking to her neighbours they think she is crazy and she leaves her door open all the time. Hopefully we'll get  to meet up with her soon.

 

Then Christmas Eve we had a district meeting (see picture) and we did a gift exchange (I got the lego movie) and then we talked to people on the street for several hours before coming in. Elder Jaegers mom sent us matching T shirts of red and yellow m and m's. (see other picture) it was really fun. Then Christmas day we went to Bishop Millingtons and had a full English breakfast, and opened presents and then we went to the Johnsons where they had this huge Christmas dinner with all their family and we brought and investigator named Sarah, (Who btw is getting baptized on January 10) and that was great. Then we went to Sister Thompsons and Skyped!

 

That night the zone Leaders (Elder McGinnis and Mullen) came and picked us up and we spent the night in their flat in Gateshead, and then we got up super early the next morning and went to the Metro Center (the biggest mall in the UK) which is right near their flat. We got there at 630 and left at about 11, it was great. I bought a skinny grey suit at Topman 50% off, it's super nice (see picture as well).

 

Also another thing that has been on my mind a lot, Elder Jaeger and I talk about it all the time, and we are meeting tonight with a guy named Peter who is struggling with this concept a lot. It's the concept of our potential as human beings to become like God is. We have been studying this talk by Tad R. Callister called 'Our Identity and Our Destiny'. [It's Janine -- you can click here to read this talk]  It has enlightened me quite a bit. For anyone that has not read it - I highly suggest it. It speaks about our potential to become like God, if we follow the plan he has set forth and keep the commandments that we have been given to keep in this life. It has helped me a lot to put my problems and the temptation that I face in check because it helps me see how short this life really is in comparison to the eternity that we have to live in after this life. It strikes me that this life is just a test, and that if we don't make and keep all of the necessary sacred covenants in this life, or in the Spirit world, then we will just hit this brick wall in the next life where we will not be able to progress, and I really don't want that.

 

Anyways, that's what I've been thinking a lot about. Also how short this life is in comparison to eternity. And how short a mission is in comparison to the rest of my life.

 

Love you guys.

 

This is from an email to James:

 

 

So every week we do weekly plannning to talk about what investigators were gonna teach this week. Right now were teaching Cheyvonne, an older woman who is a spiritualist and smokes a lot, Margaret, an older woman who drinks a lot but loves what we teach, Vita, And Tracy and her son Peter, who we helped move. We've taught lots of other people but these are the ones were mainly focussing on this week.

 

Side story you might like to hear, about a month ago we knocked a street and this Elderly born again Christian lady let us into her house. She was a heavy smoker and she had three massive dogs and a talking parot. IT was really funny becasue the parrot kept being like 'Jesus is Coming!' 'Praise the Lord!' it was strange. Anyways this woman watches all these preachers on TV and was convinced that we were wrong. We went twice and then accidentally the second time left a book of mormon on her couch, like not even on purpose, and the next time we went she freaked out at us and told us she'd thrown it away because it was blasphemy. She then showed us all this anti mormon stuff and these preachers on TV and tried to convince us we were wrong. She then had the audacity to pray that we would know the book of mormon wasnt true in her prayer before we left. Needless to say we are not going back there again. Nothing we said could help her.

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures that Coleman mailed to us

This week's email

Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi!

This past Saturday a girl was baptized who lives in Alnwick, but she was baptized in Newcastle! It was really exciting. Last Saturday Elder Jaeger and I (because he is the district leader) had to travel up to Alnwick to interview her for baptism and that was an adventure. We took the Metro into Newcastle so the central station there and it was freezing cold that day and the train station is outside ( so stupid) and it was like -5 or -6 so it was pretty cold, and we had to wait for like an hour to catch this train up to Alnwick. The train we were on, the next station was Edinburgh Scotland. So if we had stayed on that train we would have just ended up in Scotland...    but we didn't haha. Anyways the countryside up there is beautiful and Sarah was super ready to be baptized her baptism was wonderful (1 dunk, first try). Elder Kiss baptized her.

 

Anyways also this week on Tuesday was the zone Christmas party! that was super fun we got there at around 10 and we played a bunch of games and then had a big lunch with all the missionaries and President and his wife, then we had a talent show! I played and sang with a guitar that I borrowed from Brother Phillipson ( a member of the bishopric in our ward ) and that was super fun lots of people told me I was really good. Then we watched this really funny movie called Nativity, you guys should watch it!

 

Also on Monday on p day we went into Newcastle city center, it's this huge shopping place it's really cool I'll take a picture to send to you next time I'm there. I bought new shoes - because I wore through the soles of my shoes that I've been wearing, so I bought some really thick ones. I'll send a picture of the soles too haha they're really destroyed.

 

Mama,

 

That video you sent worked great they sound really good! Our Christmas Sunday was pretty lame - the bishop was gone and the choir lady was in Idaho and so we just sang a bunch of Christmas hymns and had a normal sacrament, but next Sunday they asked me to sing Oh Holy Night in Sacrament so that'll be good.

 

And wait, did both Elders leave the area? Who are the new ones? What are their names, what are they like etc.

 

And ah man that makes me pretty sad to think about missing the Christmas party :(

But thinking about the Ockeys, is Hayden back yet? If not when does he come home?

 

We have four Elders in our ward so between the two pairs we get about 4 or 5 tea appointments a week, so about 2 or 3 each (we're not allowed to have 4 elders for tea somewhere) so that's pretty nice. The rest of the time we have pasta or pizza or sandwiches or rice and chicken and stuff. Elder Shrieve (the new guy in our flat) is a really good cook, so sometimes he makes us good meals.

 

Olivia and will are so funny I miss you guys! Elder Jaeger thinks the poop jokes are really funny. I told him about the time Olivia called me poop fire on that note and he laughed for days about it. I've told him lots of stories about you guys (we have a lot of time to talk) so he knows about all you guys.

 

Sammy! I love your hair! This week (probably today) I'm gonna go and cut my hair a lot shorter, just to see if i like it. So on Christmas my hair might look a lot different. And dude how was the play? What was it again? Who are you hanging out with now?  Also how's driving? Do you drive a lot? Is it different at home without me there? How's everything going? And school what's up with that? How is everything?

 

Hi dad,

I've been thinking a lot about the atonement of Jesus Christ and I'm amazed about how hard it is to understand it fully. I'm always learning more about it. I've been teaching a lot of people about Him, and when I have to explain what the Atonement is in simple terms for people so they can understand - it helps me know it better and understand it more. I love Jesus Christ and teaching about him.

 

And Alex, you suck for not emailing me. you don't have time? I only have an hour and a half of internet access! Email me more! haha its okay but seriously. also das cool about the music stuff. I played guitar at the missionaries Christmas party! And I sing at church all the time! I'll see you on Christmas love you bye

 

 

Coleman's email and some pictures from his ward munch n mingle

Hiya!

So, mail. I have gotten a lot of mail from you guys I love it all. I got a few of Dad's talks and I got a bunch of the talks that mom has been studying. I read and studied them all thank you very much. Also I got all the food you sent (a lot of it) and the socks which I use every day, I still wear two pairs every day. Also I got that package with my Instagram books thank you! And the USB! I also bought Micheal Buble's Christmas album at a pound shop and we listen to that all the time.

I don't know if you would be able to find one (because I can't) but I've been looking for a pitch pipe, you know like a thing you can blow into that will play notes so I can know what note I'm singing, so if you find one and could send it to me that would be swell. Oh and a harmonica, I can't find any of those either.

Tomorrow is the zone Christmas party and I borrowed a guitar from one of the members of the bishopric (brother Phillipson) so that I can play something for the talent show (hurray!) Last night was the first time I've played guitar since I left home. My fingers hurt.

Also about Bro Spackman. I'm really sad to hear that he passed away. I still have the pin he gave me on one of my suit jackets. I've met a lot of old men knocking on doors and visiting, and lot's of these old men are full of sorrow and regret because they wish they could have done more with their lives. (Charly for example is this guy who drew me a hand drawn map of the area around Newcastle by memory, he was never married nor had any children and he is so lonely and loves to talk to us, we visit him about once a fortnight) I'm so inspired by Grant and how he lived his life as best he could and I know that he'll be ready and waiting for us all to join him on his way to the Celestial Kingdom.

 I'm feeling great btw, I got over the flu, but now Elder Wright has it...    haha..

Okay another story. Last night there was a cottage evening (it's like a fireside except with like 10 ward members at someone's house) and it was literally at this woman's house (Sister Steele) who lives in a cottage. But anyways we took the Metro (like always) to get there and on the Metro this woman got on and stood near us who was crying a lot. I felt the Spirit really strongly that I should go and talk to her, but before I could Elder Jaeger asked her if she was alright. She turned and looked at him and said ''No!'' and he asked if there was anything he could do to help and she said no again, so he sat back down. After a minute or so she turned to us and asked us why we cared, and we talked to her for a long time on the Metro and then got off with her and kept talking. She was upset because she had been beaten and abused by her boyfriend, and now he is in prison for beating her, and she has a court date in January to testify against him and she doesn't want to see him it was just a mess. We spoke about how we help people find peace and comfort in life through Jesus Christ's atonement and we're going to visit her sometime this week. She was very thankful that someone stopped and listened to her problems.

 I'm feeling happy, and yes I do feel like a real missionary mama.

 

Elder Jaeger and I sang Angels We Have Heard on High in sacrament meeting this past Sunday, Elder Wright played the piano. Also for the nativity yesterday and on the 28th of December in sacrament I'm singing oh holy night with Elder Wright playing the Piano, and I thing the arrangement we got it by Sally Deford and Alex used to play it for me a lot. Anyways I love singing it it's great.

 

love you guys!

Short and not so sweet

Hi guys!

 

This week was kinda crappy for me. It was transfer week, so p day was last tuesday, and then wednesday we had to drive with Sister Thompson to drop off Elder Diaz and Wright at the meeting so that took up our whole morning that day, and then we had a bunch of appointments this week where people cancelled/just werent there when we showed up. (It's called getting flogged here) So that sucked. And then I got pretty sick this week, like with a bad cold and s fever one night, so I had to stay in the flat for a few days, I missed church yesterday which sucked, and I was so bored! There is not much to do. We have some Disney movies to watch but thats about it. And read the scriptures.

 

Anyways I dont have too much more to tell it was kind of a boring week. Hopefully today were gonna go get our pictures taken for a Christmas Card and send that to you.

 

Also just btw, I got a cool European style haircut and now I wear my hair up every day and it looks cool, I'll send you a picture of it soon.

 

Bye! Love you guys!

 

Elder Thompson

Pictures of Elder Diaz's transfer

These are from Sister Thompson -- a sister in Coleman's ward who gave them a ride today to the Stake Centre for Elder Diaz's transfer

Transfers -- so it's a day late!

 

I didn't get transfered, calls were last night: Elder Diaz in my flat is leaving tomorrow and Elder Shreve is coming in. I've never met him but I'm sure he'll be great!

 

Funny Story - Elder Diaz is really good at card tricks, like magic card tricks you know? And he has like 4 or 5 decks of cards and he walks around and plays with them all the time, like on the metro and in the flat and stuff. Anyways a few days ago Elder Jaeger and I hid like 3 decks of cards everywhere in all his stuff so that he keeps finding them in random places its really funny. Like everytime he puts on any clothes they're in his sleeves and in his pants and stuff. We hid them like in the shower and stuff and just everywhere he got really frustrated it's funny. But then he's getting transfered so hopefully he finds them all before tomorrow when he leaves!

 

Also this week I went on exchange with Elder Summers our zone leader, and that was good, but he also got transferred!

 

I love you guys miss you so much love you mama cheerio

 

Pic 1: elder Diaz who is leaving tomorrow :(

 

Pic 2: Just a normal street in Whitley Bay - at the end of that street is the ocean btw.

 

Pic 3: Elder Jaeger and I taking a selfie

 

Pic 4: The Normal weather for North shields - and teh ocean!

 

Pic 5: Me!

 

Pic 6: Elder Summers and I

 

Pic 7: The Priory old castle in tynemouth

 

Pic 8: Me!

 

Pic 9: My desk one morning (it was really messy it's not always like that)

 

Pic 10: Elder Jaeger was mad because the rain messed up his hair (it rains every single day)