Love my mission!

Its been a very hard working week! Which is wonderful. We did a lot of finding this week, and found a lot of cool people. This upcoming week we have about 10 teaches planned which will be brilliant.  Four of the teaches we have this week are with families, so we are really excited for that! Training has been a lot of fun so far my boy is so great, we have a lot of fun together. We pray a lot together.. I would say like 15-20 times throughout the day, it helps a lot. Funny story this week We were walking back home after a long day and saw a couple with a pram about 200 yards away, so we went to go speak to them. They had a baby in the pram (I couldn't tell how old the baby was) and the lady looked like she was pregnant so I said "so you have one baby and another on the way"?... She wasn't pregnant.. she had just had her baby 2 days ago.  I felt like an idiot my companion was laughing his head off the whole way home.  I do know better then to ask a stupid question like that, but it just came out!

The work is going great. The weather is starting to get warmer and more people have smiles on their faces and are more willing to talk. There are many hard days on the mission, some days seem like they are never going to end and that time has literally stopped. But some how.. I have been out for almost a full year, and time is going way to fast. I'm at the point of my mission where I just love it so much, the people, the ward, studying, and whatever other crazy stuff we do out here, I really do love it, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Thanks for all your prayers and support!

n

First Baptism!

Cheers! Sorry my emails have been so rubbish and I'm sorry to say that today won't be to great either.  I will be staying in Addlestone! I will actually be training the next 2 transfers which is really cool.  My new companion is from Reno, Nevada! His name is Elder Oleson, great kid, played Rugby and Lacrosse at home and loves football. We are really excited to be serving with one another. Having the chance to train is so great.  He has the greenie spirit that everyone loves! We have set some really high goals.  I have fallen in love with the ward.. almost as much as Bath. Tell Kenzie and Steve I say happy B-Day.  I got a letter from Stephens kids, they were so funny. I loved them!!! I get to speak to you in the next couple weeks! I'm pretty excited for that! It is starting to get warm! 

This week has been the best week of my mission so far.  The Baptism.. SO AMAZING!!!!!!!! It was so cool! On the day of the baptism there wasn't a cloud in the sky, it was so beautiful. I don't know how on earth that happened, I just think Heavenly Father was super happy for Patricia! It was for sure one of the greatest days of my life!  It just makes me want to work harder and harder, I love it! 

Today is also going to be a blast! We are going to Windsor Castle, and playing footy on the fields near the castle. That being said.. I don't have much time we have to catch the train in 30 min! It has been an amazing week! The work of the Lord really is moving forward.   My new companion and I have already seen so many miracles, the Lord is preparing people, and we are finding them!  Love this work, love England, and I love my family!  I'm excited to hear from Hunter when he is out in the field!  Hope everything is going well back home! CTR and let the Holy Spirit guide. Have a great week! Cheers!!

"It is for us to make the effort.  The result is always in God's hands."

Mahatma Gandhi   

First Baptism

Testimony of fasting!

Well this week is transfers, once again, it was a short transfer, only 5 weeks! But its been a very fast 5 weeks! I don't have much time.  We have a baptism for Patricia planned for Saturday at 12:00pm. It will be my first baptism, so I'm very excited for that!  She asked me to baptize her.  I gained a very strong testimony of fasting yesterday. We fasted for Patricia. It was probably the most prayerful fast I have ever done, along with the one we did for Parker Vaussau in high School.  Patricia was planning on coming to church. When she got to church she told me about 5 different things that happened to her that morning to stop her from coming to church, but she came. I know the adversary is real. He does have a lot of power, but nothing to the power we have or the tools we have. I know that because we made the sacrifice to fast, the Lord prepared a way for Patricia to make it to church.

Its been a good week, we found 2 new investigators that have a lot of potential. It is cool to hear about everybody getting called all over the world. Its going to be amazing to see how the work is going to move forward with all these new missionaries. Last night we didn't get to bed till about midnight.. we had to go stay with a missionary because his comp. went home yesterday so we were there till about 11:30.. then we had to the drive home from the ZL's. I can't believe how late I stayed up when I was at home, when it hit 10:30 I thought I was going to drop. 

Cheers 

Nephi's example!

I love General Conference!  There were so many great talks.  If I were to choose 2, it would have to be Pres. Monson talk during priesthood session, and also Pres. Monson talk during the Sunday morning session.  Pres. Monson is filled with inspiring and funny stories.  Patricia was able to come to one session of General Conference this weekend, she enjoyed it, but said she fell asleep for a small part of it at least she is honest! She is doing really well, she has a baptismal date of 20 April, so we are super excited for that! We taught her the Word of Wisdom, thinking it would be hard for her because she drinks tea, but she said she is willing to stop! It was great. We were unable to get to see Maureen and Laura this week, it made me really sad, we've called a couple of times and she keeps saying she'll call back, but she hasn't. She has been in my prayers everyday.The low of last week is what made the high of  this week.  I left the phone on the train, but the high of today is that it has been found and is being sent to our flat! My prayers were answered!!  We heard from our prophet that we need to be obedient, so... lets keep the commandment and pray always.

This week I was reading out of 1 Nephi 16. I love Nephi's example. During this chapter, Nephi brakes his bow and arrow. The family starts complaining including his father, because they have no way of getting food. Nephi, the stud that he is, begins to make a new bow and arrow.. then in the end of verse 23. I love this, he goes and asks his father "Whither shall I go to obtain food?" Why do I like this? Nephi was the only one not complaining and working to provide for his family, he was perfectly capable of going strait to the Lord and asking where he should go to get food, but he doesn't do that, what I think, is that he recognized that his father might be in need of some spiritual strength, so he asks him to go and pray to the Lord. Sometimes our brothers and sisters or our parents might be in need of some spiritual upliftment, when we are being strong, and faithful, we can help others. Even though many people are very strong in the Gospel, everyone goes through hard times. We always need to be ready and willing to help all those around us. I love you all so so much! You are always in my prayers and thoughts. Have a wonderful week! Cheers!

"Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today."

Easter in England!

 I had a really cool experience yesterday, the trains weren't running because it was Easter Sunday.  We had to walk a lot. On the way to a little town called Weybridge(about 25min walk from Addlestone), we saw a lady and her daughter sitting on a bench. I felt we needed to go talk to her, so I mentioned it to my companion, and off we went. We started talking to her she was so kind her 9 yr. old daughter just seemed so happy! They were eating a lunch in the freezing cold, but were so happy! We talked to them for about 30 min. they said they will come to church on Sunday and we have an appointment with them for later this week. If that isn't a miracle, I don't know what is! If we caught a train we would have never met her, if we weren't walking through that town within those 15 min. she might have been gone, and most important, the spirit guided the way, as it always does if we are willing and worthy. Isn't that so cool! I don't know what will happen with her in the future, but I know we were lead to her for a reason, and what a better day to find her then Easter(: her name is Maureen, and her daughter is Laura!  One more thing Patricia has a baptismal date!! Woo!! 20 April(: She might be out of town, but we are seeing her this week to find out(: She does want to be baptised(: 

They are celebrating Easter in England and there is chocolate eggs basically everywhere you look! Its been another cold week, its supposed to be cold here until the end of April which is a little sad, but its okay:)  It was a different Easter Sunday. We heard two really good talks about the Savior during Sacrament.  The last 2 hours was all about missionary work. My companion and I had to do a 30 min. presentation to show the members what they can do and say to use this time to share the Gospel with their friends and those they meet on trains or where ever. It was pretty funny, we did some role-play and if you don't already know this, I'm a terrible actor so there was a lot of laughing. Each family and individual has a copy of the Book of Mormon and are expected to give them out within the next 2 weeks. We have some return appointments from our white board contacting we have done this week. Friday everyone was out for school. We spent about 5 hours outside of a big shopping mall talking to a ton of people, it was great!

I have been studying the New Testament, yesterday and today I read from John 10-14, amazing chapters. The Savior is such a great example. Interesting enough, my Dad told me I needed to do something nice for my companion like shine his shoes or iron his shirt. I read the story of how Jesus Christ washed all his Disciples feet, and why did he do this? Because he was an example. He said we need to "love one another as I have loved you". Reminds me of that great primary song, love one another! Good idea for family night, read John 13:34-35 and then sing Love One Another(: I love my Savior and I'm grateful I have the chance to be serving and loving him and all those around me!

 Have a great week! Cheers!(:

"It is not so much what you believe in that matters, as the way in which you believe it, and proceed to translate that belief into action."                              

                                                                 Lin Yutang