This week was crazy busy, and crazy tiring - but it was way fun. We
spent a lot of time up in the Sunderland Zone again this week, so that
was really cool!
We started off going to South Shields on Monday evening, and among
other things we went to visit this bloke named Joshua, who was
baptised a few months ago, and I went to his baptism. So that's was
cool.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we went to North Shields with Elder Anderson
and Elder Hoather. There was this one guy who gave us two Newcastle
United Shirts! I'll include a pic, it was awesome!
On Thursday we went to Gateshead to work with Elder Schmidt - who is
John Schmidt's son btw.
On Friday we went to Bradford, and that was way fun too - we worked
with two Elders named Elder Tuita and Elder Livingston.
Cool story: on these exchanges there are four of us - but we only have
one car, so often Elder Rhea or I will drive and we'll drop off two of
us somewhere and then drive somewhere else, and then we'll pick each
other up later. Anyways Elder Rhea texted me this address in Bradford
that they needed picking up from, so we drove there and just pulled up
next to these two ladies who were sitting out in their front gardens
and started talking to them out of the car window. At the beginning of
the conversation they were like very adamant that they didn't believe
in God or anything because bad things have happened to them etc.
Anyways near the beginning of the conversation Elder Rhea and Elder
Tuita came over and introduced themselves as well, and then went away
to talk to someone else they saw, so they heard some of these ladies
negative feelings towards God. Anyways Elder Livingston and I talked
to these ladies for a bit and explained a bit about God's plan for us
and why bad things have to happen and a bit about agency and the
atonement and the Book of Mormon, and by the end of the conversation
they were committed to read the first chapter of the Book of Mormon
that night and pray about it and come to church the next Sunday, and
then we said a prayer with them and they thought it was amazing.
Anyways it was so funny because a Elder Tuita just was like: "how did
that even happen, at the beginning they were so against and then we
walked away and a bit later I turned around and you guys were praying
with them..." haha. And then the next day those Elders went back, and
the ladies were waiting in front of their houses reading the Book of
Mormon! When we take the time to explain doctrine simply and clearly,
so that anyone can understand, and leave bold commitments in a way
that we have faith and expectation that people will keep those
commitments and receive blessings from doing so, it seems to just
happen, and people's lives are changed for the better.
Then we went back to Sunderland on Saturday and got some stuff we'd
left behind. Then on a Sunday it was Leeds stake Conference, and
Sister Flinn from Wharfe Valley Ward found my phone number somehow and
asked us to come sing at stake Conference in the choir - so Elder Rhea
and I did that.
Anyways - there were a few nights this week where Elder Rhea and I
were so tired that we just came home and fell right asleep and were
asleep in seconds - we have worked so hard it's crazy.
Love you guys!
MAY 22
This week was incredible! There are so many miracles that happened I
don't even know where to start! We've been on a lot of exchanges, with
missionaries from all over the place.
Monday w/ Elder Pilling from Okotoks & Elder Bailey from Australia in Keighley
Tuesday w/ Elder Fife from Utah & Elder Beadle from Utah in Sheffield
Wednesday w/ Elder Ford from Hawaii & Elder Campbell from California
in Scunthorpe
Thursday w/ Elder Winegar from Utah & Elder Anderson from Louisiana in Bradford
Friday w/ Elder Watson from Idaho & Elder Stumpp from Idaho in Barnsley
Saturday we went hiking in the Peak District in Sheffield and then
worked in Leeds 4
So on Monday I worked with Elder Pilling, who is from Okotoks! He is a
good bloke and we visited this guy who Elder Pilling was like "I think
he's a member that's been inactive for years" and we went in and I
asked him when he was baptised, and he was like "I've never been
baptised" and we were like "do you want to be baptised?" And he was
like "yeah, and my son does too". So that was awesome, we had a
spiritual lesson with him and Elder Pilling is a homie.
On Tuesday in Sheffield there were some awesome miracles. These things
seem to happen when we follow first impressions we receive from the
spirit. Elder Fife said a prayer that we would be led where to go to
find people that are prepared and who would go on to be baptised, and
we both felt prompted to go to this area near their flat. Anyways we
talked to this one bloke who walked us up to his apartment building
but then shrugged us off basically, and we walked back a little ways
and talked to a few more people, and then we stopped this couple from
Iran. We were like "so what brought you to the UK?" And they were like
"we became christians so we had to move" and we were like "were
teachers from a Christian church!" And they were like "come in we'll
make you some food" and then we taught them all about the Restoration
and they love it.
On Thursday in Bradford with the Elders there we talked to so many
people. The elders there are in a ward called Dudley Hill, which
covers like half of Bradford - and they live in Bradford City Centre.
The thing about their flat is that we have to park like a ten minute
walk away, but when you stop and talk with every person you can as you
pass - it can take up to an hour and a half or two hours to get from
the car to the flat. So that was fun!
But also, on Thursday Elder Winegar and I visited a member - and
afterwards he asked us where we wanted dropping off, and we told him a
certain street. After he dropped us off we said a prayer that we would
find someone in the street who would be receptive and have their life
benefited from our message. Immediately after the prayer I turned and
looked around and saw a lady sitting outside in her front yard, and I
had a really strong prompting to go and talk to her. So we did, and at
first she was super hesitant, like "no I'm not interested in whatever
it is" but we just started talking to her like a normal person, and
laughed a bit, and then explained who we were and asked if we could
come in, and she was there with her husband and six daughters, and
they let us in and we taught them all about the restoration of the
gospel, and they are progressing super well now!! So amazing.
On Saturday, Elder Rhea and I took some of our p-day time and went to
this Valley in the Peak District near Sheffield and climbed a big hill
near a dam, it was way cool - we took all the picture on Elder Rhea's
camera though, and we haven't had a chance to get them onto a computer
to send yet... but we will!!
Anyways afterwards we came back to Leeds and weren't too sure what we
were going to do with the evening part of our day. We called Elder
Walker and Elder Saylin in Harrogate, but they were far away and
weren't available for a split. So we sat for a minute and decided that
since we were planning on going to church the next day in Leeds 4, we
might as well go find someone to bring to church with us. So that's
what we prayed for, that we would be led to someone who would come to
church with us and desire to be baptised.
We left the flat, picked out an area (East End Park) in Leeds, drove
there, and then drove down a main road and Elder Rhea said: "this one"
and we turned down a road and parked at the end of a street. We got
out of the car and were like "that door looks good" and knocked on the
door, and this bloke named Zac poked his head out of the window. After
a minute he came to the door and we talked to him and he let us in! We
taught him about the restoration as well and invited him to church,
and he was like "yeah sounds fun". So the next morning we drove to his
house and took the bus with him to church in Leeds 4! It was awesome.
There are so many other things that happened, but those are just a few
stories. Things are going awesome here. I love being a missionary and
being able to help people find meaning in their life through the
Gospel. I love England and the people here. I love teaching about
Jesus Christ every day as well.
It's getting warmer here too! Should be nice weather this week!
Love you guys!
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