How's the week been?
It's been good here, except it's been getting really cold, and the sun
sets every day at about 4 PM, and we can't really knock on doors after
the sun goes down because people get annoyed - but it's all good!
Bradford is sweet.
Let's talk about some funny things people have said while Elder Kearl
and I knocked on doors this week:
*knock*knock*
"How's it going man?"
"Sorry guys it's a really bad time"
"Oh why's that?"
"The baby's just shat everywhere"
"Oh ok, good luck with that"
Another one:
*knock*knock*
"Hi, how are you?"
"NO, not how am I.... WHO, ARE, YOU?"
"Ok, have you met Mormons before?"
"I certainly don't want to meet them again!"
"Oh no, were they nice last time?"
"That's for me to know, and NOT for you to ask!"
*slam*
Another one:
"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm good thanks guys, how are you?"
"We're doing great!"
I thought I would put the last one in to show that not everybody is
that rude haha, I just remember the funnier things people say
sometimes! We've mostly met nice people this week though!
Oh, something nice that happened this week! On Monday (maybe? I can't
remember...) I got a call from the Bishop of the Wharfe Valley ward! I
used to serve in that ward back in early 2015, and Bro Flinn, who's
now the Bishop, knows that I'm a good singer. Bro Flinn is actually my
friend on Facebook at home and I had some good chats on Facebook with
him while I was home. Anyways they called to recruit me for Stake
Choir, for stake conference on Sunday.
So on Friday we made our way to the Wharfe valley chapel in Menston
and practiced for Stake choir - which was really great! When we got to
the practice Sister Flinn who directs the choir asks Elder Kearl
straight up: "can you sing on pitch??" And he was like... kind of, and
I backed him up, so he sang with the choir as well haha.
Side funny note about choir rehearsal, there was one part where Sis
Flinn didn't want us to breathe, and so she kept saying "no breath!"
But in her Yorkshire accent it comes out like "nae breath" so that's
what I kept thinking.
Also there's a member of our ward (who's house we're going to on
Christmas) named Dave, who's really funny, and he sat beside Elder
Kearl in the choir practice - and somebody in the bass section did a
big scoop and Sis Flinn got annoyed by it, so she was like: "nae
scooping" and then the rest of the practice Dave get being like: "hey,
you scooping" it was just really funny...
We're working with an investigator right now who's wife is a member of
the church, and they've been married for just over a year. The wife
really has hopes that her husband will gain a testimony of the church
and desire to be baptised and so we've been teaching him and that's
been going really well - his name is Richard.
On Sunday (Dec 4, which happens to have become a significant day for 2
reasons - #1 is that it's Alex's birthday, and #2 is that it marks one
year to the date that I flew back home to Canada last year) was Leeds
Stake Conference! And guess where they held it... at the
Huddersfield Stake Centre, so I found myself on a bus that took us
from Bradford to Huddersfield early Sunday morning to get to Stake
Conference. It seems like I can't get away from that place... I love
it there.
There was a seventy that came and presided and spoke at the
Conference, named Elder David P. Homer. His remarks hit me more
powerfully than anything that I've heard recently, which is saying a
lot seeing as I've been to meetings with Elder Nelson and Elder
Moreira not too long ago.
He explained a story about how the greatest gifts are the ones that
require sacrifice from the giver. He told a story about him growing up
in Utah and receiving a generous Christmas gift from his parents who
were struggling financially, and how he had been selfish in asking for
it, but appreciated the sacrifice they made to get it for him.
He also told another story, and it was interesting because it was
Alex's birthday, and so I'd been thinking about her already that
morning. The story was of a friend of his who'd had an older sister,
who when she became old enough to live on her own, left her family and
started living a life contrary to gospel teachings. The story was long
and full of heartache in the lives of the other family members as
well. The mother of the family passed away in a tragic accident, and
later the father died of related injuries from the accident. At the
funeral a family friend spoke and the older sister felt touched by
something he said, and eventually decided to return to the church of
her youth, just the once. She did and was met there by a loving
Bishop, who cornered her before she could leave, and she eventually
returned to full fellowship with the church.
I'm definitely not saying that I hope something that tragic happens to
our family, but sometimes it takes events of a great magnitude to
touch someone's heart.
The story continued in describing how the woman who came back to church
helped her husband and children join the church as well, and they were
sealed in the temple as a family. Just something in the way he said it
really struck a chord with me, and I felt a real pain in my heart and
hope for my sister that she might one day remember the joy that can
come to one as they enjoy the blessings of the gospel.
I know that families can be together forever because of Heavenly
Father's plan for us. The Priesthood power of God has been restored
upon the earth to the prophet Joseph Smith, and the keys that he
received have been passed down to the prophet today. I know that the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's church on
the earth again, and that because it has been restored we can be free
from the burden of guilt and shame that comes from sin, and we can
feel love and peace towards those around us. I'm so grateful for the
opportunity I have to share that with people, and to help them to
reconcile themselves to God, and abide in his peace as well.
Love you guys! Go check out the light the world page on Mormon.org!
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