December 29, 2009

It was really good to get to talk to everyone on Christmas! It didn't make me homesick, it just made me happy so don't worry about that. I'm sad to hear about Nat's new companion. I hope it all works out with them. I haven't had a bad one yet so I don't really know what thats like or how to deal with it. Hopefully I won't ever have to deal with that. For New Year's here we'll be painting our flat. They don't let us out after 5 because we might get mugged so we're stuck in there doing that. That should be more fun than a barrel of rabid monkeys. I'm hoping everything will slow down a bit soon so we can actually teach people. We're trying to stay positive though so we'll make it through. I talked about getting some new shoes because mine are rubbish so we went and looked a bit on Boxing Day. The cheapest waterproof set I could find that would last a while were 70 pounds. So thats about 110 dollars. So they're pretty spendy. Thats even with sales. They were originally 85 pounds. But I do need to get some soon and I hate to sound like a mooch but can you help me out with that? Customs took all of my money haha. Boxing day was really good for us. One of the member families invited us over all day and made us a huge English fry-up breakfast. It was pretty good. Except I tried blood pudding and it was just like Garrett said, a scab. They just kept calling it black pudding so I wouldn't know what it was. But it was sick I didn't like it at all. Anyways I better get moving I love you guys!

December 15, 2009

Hey Mom and Dad how is everything going back home? All is pretty well here. Our baptism tanked out on us so that isn't very cool. But it happens. To this end was I called. We've been spending a ton of time finding lately cuz someone whizzed in our teaching pool. It seems like all of them got antied at once so they won't talk to us anymore. It's a little bit tough. But it's ok. The thing is that everyone is so busy during the whole Christmas season. You would think Christmas might make them think a little bit about Christ but it just makes everyone cranky. I've never been sworn at so much in my life. Some lady spit at us the other day. I tried really hard to be Christ-like but I really wanted to kick her in the teeth. But I didn't do it so you should be proud of me. The members are taking care of us really well during the holidays so don't worry. We've got two different meals planned for Christmas day and the whole day with one of the families on Boxing Day. Boxing day is the day after Christmas. It's really big here I guess. We're not allowed to proselyte during it so we'll go chill with the members. But they got us covered so not to worry. As far as phone calls go I'll be calling on Christmas. Thats about all I got for you at the moment. We get to email on Christmas Eve with the details about it so I'll let you know what time on that day. It'll probably be about 11 or noon your time though if I were a guessing person. But I'll let you know later.
Elder Largesse and I get along great! The work has been really enjoyable with him even if we do get rejected. He's from Vegas I don't remember if I told you that or not but he's been out for 19 months now. He goes home the first part of May. I'm glad Nat is doing well in the MTC. I haven't heard from her since she got in there so it's good to know everything is going well. The time flies like crazy out here! I feel like I'm still relatively new but my mission is 1/6th of the way done. Crazy huh. I was thinking of that the other day it's pretty wild.
I don't have too many crazy stories to tell about this week. We have a Christmas conference down in Cardiff with a talent show on the 23rd and me and Elder Largesse are going to sing a song we're writing. We're writing a rendition of "Knocking on Heaven's Door" called "Knocking on People's Doors". Should be pretty good I think. Funny anyways. I got your package last week at zone conference. Thank you for all of the stuff. I was needing socks and deodorant believe it or not. I was out of American deodorant and the stuff they have over here sucks. So thanks for that I appreciated all of it.
In your letter you asked if the cold was different here and yes it is. It doesn't get as cold temperature-wise, but it's a humid damp cold so it penetrates to your bones. It's crazy. I miss the snow though. Christmas just isn't quite the same without the snow. But it'll be ok. 

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December 8, 2009

Hey how is everything going back home? All is going pretty well here. Everybody is atheist it seems like. All Christmas means to them is to drink themselves stupid and not have to go to work the next day. There are a few believers but the overwhelming majority are atheists. It makes it a little bit tough to talk to them because all they do is mock you for having a belief. One of my mission goals is to bag me an atheist before I go home though so I'm going to do it. I'm also gonna bag me a Jew, a JDub, a family, and a Born Again Christian. So those are my goals just so you know. I was reading my conference notes and found out I'm supposed to share my goals with my family so there you have it. Post is pretty ridiculous isn't it? I haven't gotten the package yet but we have Zone Conference on Friday so it'll probably be there.We set up our Christmas tree the other day too. You should see this thing, it's a disgrace. It's a fiber optic tree that stands 9 inches high. I'll take a picture for you. You'll laugh I promise. As far as Christmas goes we don't know what time we'll be calling or anything yet, that'll come eventually I'm sure. We do have two dinners set up for Christmas day though. One is with a less-active lady and her son for lunch and then we're going out to the ward mission leader's house for dinner and calling home. He has a really posh house you should see this thing. It's like 400 years old but he restored the whole thing and modernized it all. It's sweet. I'll let you know about all the Christmas details later though. My bike and I have not fared well this week I tell you what. I've had 2 flat tires and a wicked wreck. We were cruising down a bike trail and there was a bridge over the creek that was covered with moss. One second the bike was under me the next it wasn't. I kissed the pavement and thought I knocked out a tooth but they're all still there don't worry. Elder Largesse was behind me so he ate it as well and landed right on top of me. His bike went over the bridge and swimming in the creek so when we gathered ourselves we had to do a bit of fishing. Pretty cool huh. I was telling some members about it and said the word "crick" they thought that was pretty funny. I got hit by a car too. Not hard or anything he just bumped me a bit. But by heck I kept control of that bike like a champ I tell you what. Didn't even fall over. I watched a guy get hit by a car in Worcester the other day!  He got hit by a bus. It wasn't moving too fast so he was ok and everything but it shot him in the air hardcore. I thought he was a dead fetcher but he got up and walked it off. It was awesome. And yes that is the same Worcester as like Worcestershire sauce. But you say it like Woo(as in wood)-ster-sher. So now you know how to say it properly. It sounds nothing like it's spelled I know, but thats how you say it. I'm teaching one of the member kids how to speak like an American so that's pretty cool too. He's pretty good at it. Oh by the way, I was reading an Ensign from August 05 and there was a story in there by Bart Benson from his mission. It was really good, I liked it alot. I don't know if you ever read it but if not you should. It's a good one.

December 1, 2009

So an update for England. My new companion and I get along really well so that's going really good. He's from Las Vegas. We both hate BYU as well so we'll continue to get along lol. And the best part.... He's a Raiders fan! Sweet huh. He loves the blanket you made me too. He said you are awesome for doing that. He has a girl waiting for him. Get this, she is at BYU-I and she's been there for 2 years and she's not even married! I told him she must be a keeper lol. But ya all is going well here still. We kinda lost a ton of investigators for unknown reasons though. They all kinda quit answering their doors and phones at the same time so we just have to look for new ones now. So that was just a little bit stressful but it's ok we'll find the ones who are prepared right? Oh ya I was going to tell you a funny story about an old lady lol. We stopped her and she told me I was good looking so I would go far in life lol. Crazy huh. At least somebody thinks I'm good looking.... ;)
Hey I hope Thanksgiving was good. Ours was really good I liked it alot. We had dinner out at Brother and Sister Hansen's house with some members from the ward. Brother Hansen is a fellow yank so it was pretty sweet. They made us some really good food I enjoyed it alot. So don't worry we were taken care of Nobody has claimed us for Christmas quite yet but it's coming I'm sure. Thanks for all of the pictures I loved them and they all came in fine so no worries. If you want to look up the Hansen's on facebook his name is Tom Hansen from Hereford I don't think it'll be too tough to find.Our baptism for the 12th fell through because the guy suffers from depression and tries to drink away his problems and he has no desire to quit whatsoever. So there's not too much we can do for him but pray. It's a bit frustrating but it'll be ok. Have you gotten any snow over there? It was frosty today but no snow yet. Just butt-freezing cold. And my under armour was in the wash today so I'm not keeping very warm. We don't have a dryer so we have to hang dry everything. That really sucks alot but it's ok. Christmas is coming really fast. I just realized I need to do some shopping. Fetch. Oh well. I'll get that done. Anyways I better head out now.