This Week in Coleman's Life

Hi guys! Wow there are so many things going on for you guys right now! Wow.

Also that is so funny about the Elder's in your ward.[I told him how the elders in our ward had asked to come to dinner twice last week!] It's funny because as missionaries we do interact with all of like the major families in the Ward. Like in Wharfe Valley we would go to the bishop's house for dinner every week, and so I knew his wife and kids really well, and here all the main families invite us over and I have all their phone numbers and things, so it's just so funny to think that to them you guys are just this other family in the ward who feeds them and stuff like that. 

So family. Every time I go to people's houses for dinner - we share a spiritual thought or a scripture or something like that. Often we just come up with them on the spot, and just flip open a book of mormon and read something and relate it to missionary work. But our thoughts always end in some sort of searching questions to the family, like: ''what are you guys doing to increase the work of salvation here in this ward?''. And of course we always get answers like doing their calling and reaching out to less actives and being a good example to their friends and things like that - which are all great! All of those answers are good answers, and keep doing them. In fact mama the stories you send and how you talk about how you help people by doing compassionate service is incredible and I am inspired by your example. I wish more people would be like you. 

But let me speak about what the missionaries REALLY mean when they ask things like that, coming from a REAL missionary. When they ask missionary minded questions and give out missionary work challenges, the end goal that they have in mind, and that the Lord has inspired his Prophets to tell us how it should be, is for the members (You!) to do the finding! For the members to invite their friends to be taught by the full time missionaries. That is the end goal, for the missionaries to be so busy teaching people all day, that they don't have time to waste to find more people to teach, and the members are doing that for them. The idea is to move from two full time proselyting missionaries in a ward, to two full time proselyting missionaries AND a fleet of part time proselyting missionaries! Does that make sense? That's why missionaries in Utah don't knock on doors very much. They cant! They're too busy teaching! But in places like England and Canada, they need to find people. 

So ideally, that's what would happen. Of course, Satan is at hand as well. But I have been part of a few occasions here in England even, where a member refers their friend to be taught, and has been present for the teaching! And it is incredible. I am so lucky to have been able to be part of experiences like that.

I just want to speak a bit on another subject as well. I love playing guitar and singing as you guys know, I still do it here on my mission whenever I get the chance. When I learn a song and the lyrics well, I can just play and sing the song without really thinking about it too much. Like I will be playing the guitar methodically, singing my heart out - but I don't really have to be thinking about what's going to happen next. In fact, I can actually think about different things that are happening, like who's around listening, and what people's facial expressions are, and if they're enjoying the music, i can think those thought in my mind at the same time that a string of words are coming out of my mouth. 

I have been in quite a few lessons now on my mission, where I haven't been the one teaching, even though the words are coming out of my body and my mouth. Just like when I play the guitar, I will literally sometimes as I'm talking just think to myself ''What am I saying?'' because the words are just flowing out by the power of the spirit. The Holy Ghost literally fills my mouth with what to say. I don't even have to take any thought before hand what I will say because it has been given to me in the very hour, yeah in the very minute, what I need to say and what that person needs to hear. It's incredible. 

This week has been pretty slow because Elder Duff has been having some health issues (personal ones I cant share) that have kept him housebound for about 4 days this week. So we have had some time out teaching, and I've gone on splits with the other Elders in my flat - but not too much has been happening. 

Willy! Congrats on your baptism buddy! You look so big! 

 

The ward here- to answer somebody's question- is great! There are a lot of really big families with nice youth as well which is fun. There's a few boys who are pretty much my age! Also It's really big, like probably almost the size of our ward at home. Well actually no, there's about 100 or 120 active members I would guess? Somewhere around there. A lot of inactive/less active people as well. How big is our ward?

Love you guys! Have a good week!

Elder Thompson

We were out knocking, and someone showed us his old cars

Three Wheeled Car!