November 30, 2010

Hi Mum.

Welll well welll... oh how nerve racking transfers can be. First off... I'm staying in norwich. Secondly.... Elder Young is staying too! Apparently President Patch knew I needed the most training I could get. Therefore, nothing changes for me. Err... I was excited for change. Something to spice it up... but the Lord has other plans. I am very excited to see what the next six weeks holds for me. The problem is... almost all of our investigators have dropped us or we have dropped them. This friday we met with stella and she was excited to see us and happy to reset her baptismal date to the 11th of December. That night, at 3:30 she sent us a text that said she didnt want to meet with us anymore and that she is going to decline in becoming a full time member of our church :( Life is hard. BUT i'm learning. With each experience like that I'm learning how to be a better missionary and a better individual.

 

One of the Zone Leaders that lives next door is going home on Thursday and its been really weird to live next door to a missionary that is finishing his mission when i've just begun mine :/ He has actually been really good at not being trunky. Therefore today... they are going to London to have P-day and then switching on Wednesday. Elder Cardon is going to the land of eternal P-days. BUTTTT.... since there is a leadership training on Wednesday as well... Elder Young has to go down to London. WHICH MEANS!! I get to go too :) I so happy. That means I get to go be with and see my brothers (the other Elders from my MTC group). We are leaving in one hour to drive to the crazy city of London.

 

Food. I'm sick of it. So sick of food. I never want to eat again. On Thursday we had a proper Thanksgiving Feast. With a fantastic American family, the Davis'. So much food, so many people. They have 3 boys under 12, so I just hung out with them the whole time :) It snowed on Thursday as well. The earliest its snowed in 17 years. Poor little Norwich doesn't know what to do in the snow. Everything just stops. Its really just pitiful. You know what that means though... everyone is at home when we go tracking :) Tracking is fun with Elder Young (as long as he is in a good mood). We make it interesting and enjoyable. You have to learn to take people with a grain of salt. You would be amazed with how many people don't believe in God. Who don't want ANYTHING to do with religion, and if they do... they already have their church. You have to learn to shrug of the rudeness of people. To smile and get ready for the next door. The next adventure. 

We go tracking with golfballs :) If you knock with them... it doesn't break your knuckles. The cold here goes straight to your bones... its a damp cold. Brr... I have been bundlin' up. Thermals, Cardigans, Scarfs, Gloves... anything to keep me warm. But back to thanksgiving. We stuffed ourselves on Thursday... then on Friday. A member invited us to a cavery... where they give you the meat... and then its a buffet for the vegetables. Then on saturday... we had another proper Thanksgiving meal with an american family in Dereham. I'm so fat now. So fat. Not really... but thats because i've actually been running in the morning. If anyone wants to give me a Christmas present... a pair of running shoes would be great. Size 8. I think i've gained about a stone (14lbs) on my mission. Its rubbish. Oops. We get fed way to well. You would be proud of me mother... everyone expects me to hate brussel sprouts... but because you always ate them and offered them to me, i really like them. It gets me on the members good side.

 

Lets get spiritual. This week I did a really good study about becoming one. It was brilliant. I was thinking a lot about my ideal self compared to my actual self. I know what I want to be, like Jesus Christ. But i'm not. I continue to make mistakes. Why is that? I know what I want to be. Its because we are human and we forget that simple simple truth that we are children of God. Good thing God and Jesus Christ understood this and knew we would make mistakes. That is why the At-One-ment was performed. It enables our actual self to become in one with our ideal self. How magic is that? I love the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He literally SAVED us, without His love and sacrifice we would be lost. Permanently separated from God. That would be hell. We are never lost, no matter how far we stray... he will leave His 99 and come find and guide us. To protect us from straying... we must do two things EVERYDAY. I am gaining such a steadfast testimony of the power of these two things... they are the key in protecting us from personal apostasy. Prayer and Scripture Study from the Book of Mormon. They will keep our testimony of Jesus Christ unshakable. Please never let a day pass when you do not participate in both of these activities. We are never safe in this gospel... Satan is just waiting for the smallest slip up so he can influence us. If we are not progressing... we are declining. The gospel requires work. Hard work. Sacrifice and diligence. Never give up... it is worth it. Keep the end in mind, take a step back and analyze the big picture... the gift of eternal life that is at risk.

I love my family. Your examples are one of the strongest strengths in my life.