So this week was crazy! I'm not sure I even know where to begin. Okay I'll start with the biggest news: I got transferred!
It's a bit of a complicated one. Last year between July and October, there were loads of new missionaries that were called to this mission. Nowadays, most of the Zone Leaders and Assistants all go home in the next few months. Besides 3 I believe, all of the rest of the leaders of the Mission go home in July or August. Because of that, there are a lot of new missionaries that are going to be called to be in leadership positions. Anyways, because of how new all the missionaries were last year, a lot of the missionaries didn't really have a lot of opportunity to receive very much training.
Long story short, President called another Zone Leader: Elder Rhea, and I to travel around the mission and go on two day exchanges with the younger missionaries in the mission who have potential for leadership but need training. So he's giving us a list of a load of missionaries, and for the next 2 transfers before I go home, Elder Rhea and I will be staying in various missionary flats and going on exchanges with the missionaries there. Travelling Assistants we're called. We're technically living in the York 2 area with the Zone Leaders there, but that's just gonna be more of a home base where we stay maybe once or twice a week.
So for the next three months, I'll let you know every week (hopefully I'll still have time on a Monday, and if I don't it will be on a Saturday) where I've been in the previous week, and with what missionaries etc. I'm quite excited, but I'm really nervous, and this is going to be the hardest type of missionary work I think I've ever had to do.
But - I'm so sad to be leaving Newcastle. I love this place, and the people here. Let me tell you about a few.
Okay first, a guy named Gardi. Last week on exchange with Elder Hardy we went to visit Godwyn, a potential we'd found, and when we pulled up on his street there were two guys standing outside. One was Gardi. Gardi is from Northern Iraq, known as Kurdistan (the same place Akram is from - who's moved to Birmingham btw) and upon chatting with him for a few minutes Gardi told us that he wanted to become a Christian. We told him that we were teachers from a Christian church and he asked for the church address and then showed up last Sunday. This week we visited him 3 times, and he came to church yesterday with his 2 daughters! He told us in one of the lessons that since he's been learning about Jesus (which he has been doing loads - he's read most of the Gospels now) he has been happier, and his wife has been asking him loads about why he's so much nicer and happier all the time! It's so cool. He was such a miracle, just the way we met him and everything. He's planning on getting baptised on May 6th, and I'm hoping that Elder Rhea and I will just happen to be visiting missionaries in the Sunderland Zone around that time so that we can go. We taught him the Word of Wisdom this week too, and he smokes, but he's made a whole big plan to stop smoking before his baptism. It's so cool.
There's also a girl named Emma who we met last Monday! We taugh her on Monday and on Wednesday! She's keeping all her commitments! She's way cool.
We did 3 exchanges this week too! One with Elder Glenn from Utah, who is a homie. One with the Assistants, I went with Elder Klingler from Idaho, and with Elder Lewis from Utah as well. 3 days in a row.
We went to our friend Hasan who owns a takeaway to eat loads this week!
There was a lady who got baptised in the Chinese branch named Pat, and it was the funniest thing ever. She is just a funny lady! I played the guitar because she asked me to: 'Elder Tomson will sing the song,
We organised all the transfers and logistics for all the missionaries coming in and out and everything!
On Sunday night there was a musical Fireside in Newcastle, and loads of people came! I played a song on the guitar. I said goodbye to loads of people, and it was pretty sad. Then Elder Peck and I(a missionary who is also getting transferred) went with President Turvey in the mission van to Leeds, dropped them off at their house, and then I drove us to Bradford to stay with Elder Kearl.
Today we woke up and went to the office to have a meeting with President and the Assistants, and Elder Rhea and I (the new Assistants) to talk about what we are going to be doing for the next while and planning things out.
Long story short - I'm not gonna have nearly as much time to e-mail, and I might e-mail on random days too, I'm not really sure yet. We'll take preparation time Monday and a little on Saturday I think.
So yeah, new calling, no area - just travelling around for the rest of my mission training missionaries. I'm excited but super nervous too, I haven't been able to sleep very well for a few days. I'm so excited though!
Love you guys!
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| Gemma |
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| Kieran and Shannon |
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| Susan and Sophie |
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| Alvin |
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| Ken |
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