June 1, 2010

It's all going ok here. Our teaching pool has temporarily died. Well not necessarily died but became pretty ill. Pretty much all of our investigators went on holiday this week so we haven't been able to teach much. But we've been trying to find some new ones so that's ok. I would really like to see the grave and how that all went. I forgot it was Memorial Day weekend to be honest. I think they do celebrate it here but not really on the scale that we do back home. At least that's how it seems. I forgot to mention that I wanted someone to go down and have a coke with Blake for me last week so tell those guys thank you for doing that. I guess we all had the same idea. Just as long as it happened.
That dinner with Kent and Sonia sounds pretty fun. I just wish I could've been there to hear the stories. I bet that was hilarious. It usually is whenever you get Dad and Kent or David together. And all three of them together is the best.
Elder Beus and I are getting along great. We joke around alot so we have alot of fun. I've found that missionary work really just isn't that great if you're not having fun cuz the people you meet can see that you aren't having fun so they don't really want too much to do with you. So we try to have a good time while we're doing the work. But ya it's going really good.
Thanks for the life lesson again Dad. You find over and over again how much you need to have the Spirit with you and to be able to follow the promptings you are given. That's another thing President Ogden always tells us is to always follow the promptings we are given. No matter what. And I told Nat about getting life lessons and I sent her a copy of the flying one so that's how she knows I get them. She really liked that one by the way. Anyways I better get going now. Did you get any post from me yet? I love you both. Talk to you later.

May 27, 2010

First things first, I got Pam's package on Wednesday and I love it! I hung it up next to my study desk. It made me shed a tear but it is amazing. Our baptism on the 5th has to be postponed because our investigator's mother passed away on Friday and he needs a bit of time to get the funeral done and everything. So we're helping him through all of that at the moment. It's kinda hard because alot of the stuff he says about it is the same type of stuff I was feeling with Blake so it kinda reopened a wound you could say. But it did give me a chance to testify to him of the Plan of Salvation. It's actually been so amazing how many people we have met lately who are angry with God over the loss of a loved one. What I say doesn't always help them but if nothing else it strengthens my conviction.
That sucks that you guys are getting snow. It's been fetching hot here the last couple of days. I've been sweating so bad. But today isn't quite as hot and they say the rest of the week should be the same as today so that's good. So Dad, did you go flying while Mom was at the spa? How long do you think it'll be before you get the door fixed and all of that business? I'm glad you enjoyed the spa with Megan and Kelli. It sounds like you had a good time.
Thank you for the life lesson today Dad. It's easy to forget how true that is. Out here you have a badge on your chest that hopefully reminds you to keep your nose clean but you never know who's watching, mission or otherwise.
So is Cody getting excited to head out? I'm excited for him. Who spoke with him on Sunday? Tell him his mission goal should be to tract an Amish community and baptize someone from there. I don't know how many Amish people there are in Kentucky but I'm sure there's a few of them. Anyways I need to get going now. Thank you for everything you do. How much longer will it be before you start getting the headstone sorted? Sorry that was just one more random question. I love you guys
p.s. I need an American flag tie for the 4th cuz it's on a Sunday this year and I want to wear it to church to wind these people up so if you can find one and send it straight to the flat that would be awesome. And if you can, send it in a relatively small envelope cuz if it doesn't fit in the post box they take it to a sorting office clear across town and I have to go get it there.

May 18, 2010

Hey Mom and Dad we've had a good week so far. We have a guy named Paul committed to baptism on June 5th so we're pretty chuffed about that. We're teaching quite a few people actually so it's all good. When the crazy man talked to us about magic Elder Beus was over there trying to figure out what he was talking about just like I was. That guy was crazy I tell you what. We haven't heard from any General Authorities lately. We were supposed to have Elder Kopischke, the Europe Area President, come to zone conference tomorrow but the flippin volcano went off again so he couldn't get a flight in. So that wasn't very cool. The volcano always slows down the post too.
So they're putting Blake's name on a wall in Salt Lake then? I'm going to have to go see that when I get home. Even if they couldn't use his eyes on someone at least they're getting put to good use. I haven't gotten Pam's package yet but I'll probably get it tomorrow I would imagine. That's cool that you and Kelli are going up to Poky together. That should be fun. Will there be a plane in the sky that day, Dad? I would get one up there if I were you. Man that's sad about Nephi. I don't even know what to say. Where was the other guy from? Take care and I love you guys.

May 11, 2010

How is everything going for you guys? It's all going good here. We're teaching quite a few people and everything so that's good. Elder Beus and I are getting along good.
I had no idea we had English ancestors. Maybe if I get moved over to Nottingham I'll have to check out a cemetery to see if there are any Chattertons still there. That would be really cool.
I have to tell you a story about a born again guy we met yesterday. So I know this is bad to say but I have a really hard time having any charity for these people. Because I don't think I've ever met one who didn't start an argument with me in the first 30 seconds of talking to them. But this guy takes the cake on them. And he was Elder Beus's first one so that made it even better. So he starts off by telling us he doesn't believe in "Mormonism" because it is tied in with witchcraft. So I asked him how he knew that and he proceeds to tell us how some crazy Satanist guy wrote a book about witchcraft telling people that in order to become immortal you have to collect 12 "strands of magics" from different organizations, the church being one of them. So I asked him how to collect a strand of magic and he couldn't tell me. Then he asked me how I knew I was feeling the Spirit so I related Galatians 5 to him about the fruits of the Spirit and he told me that wasn't a valid answer because that could be a counterfeit. So I asked him to read the Book of Mormon and pray and see if he could feel the Spirit, which apparently I can't feel but he can. And then he goes off to us about how the Book of Mormon is cursed and anyone who reads it invites evil upon themselves and if they read it they become a Mormon because of the curse. Ya. So then we just had to leave because I was getting mad and he wasn't going to listen so it was a waste of time. But ya that was our crazy man of the week. Pretty cool huh.
Thank you for that life lesson today Dad. I think I forget that one alot. I worry so much about getting everything right the first time that it gets a bit discouraging when it doesn't work out the way I want it to. But thank you for that it helped me out alot. Anyways I better get going now. I love you both.

May 6, 2010

Hey I'll be calling you at 10am your time on Sunday. Sorry the time kinda sucks but that's all we can do. So maybe Dad will have an excuse to get out of some meetings. We're doing the calling this time and the member we're using doesn't have two lines so I'm only going to have an hour or so to talk so I'm sorry about that but that's what we get. I was really sad to leave Worcester and especially Elder Rapana. That guy was a legend in my book. But I think it'll be good here. I've already met a few of the members here and they all seem really cool. There's one crazy little Irishman named Gerry. He is the one who is going to have us call from his house. He's a pretty cool guy. He's really funny cuz he's only about 5 and a half feet tall and he talks just like a leprechaun. But he's a way nice guy and I hear he throws a wicked 4th of July party so if I stay here for another transfer after this one I'll get to go to that. Elder Largesse served here a year ago so everybody knows him so thats cool too. I got the card from Kristi but not the others. Don't worry though, Rapana gave me a blood oath that he'll get me all of my post that ends up there so we're good to go. Anyways I better get going now. I love you guys

May 4, 2010

I hope all is still going good for you guys. It's transfer week this week and I'm getting moved :( I don't know anything about calling home from there yet but I'll probably find out tomorrow so I'll be sending another email on Wednesday or Thursday to tell you. I'm moving to a place called Redditch. It's over next to Birmingham, (the new address is listed on my blog site) Elder Largesse was there a year ago so he told me the address and a bit about it. He said it's like JDub heaven over there so there's probably some Bible bashes coming my way. Don't worry though, Dusty trained me up good haha. Just kidding, but seriously. But ya my new comp is Elder Beuss from Tremonton Utah and he went to Utah State before he came out. I don't know much about him yet other than that but they say he's a cool guy. He's only been out for 1 transfer. He might know Kelton Bronson though. There's another missionary from Tremonton who used to hang out with him named Elder Griffiths. So I talked to him for a while at zone conference. We'll see.
Good job bearing (is it bearing or baring?) your testimony Mom. I've done it a couple of times since I got back to England. I can't believe it's almost been 2 months since I was home. That's pretty crazy. It still all seems such a short time ago. I haven't gotten my birthday package yet but it'll probably be at transfer meeting so I'll get it there. I don't have a license yet. You have to first get a provisional (like a learner's permit) and then take a theory and a driving test. I hear the driving test is really hard so that won't be fun but we'll get it sorted.
Thank you for that life lesson today Dad. I like that one alot. And I'm excited to see the new plane. At this rate you might just have it in the air when I come home haha. But I'm excited to fly in that one. Have you decided what to do about the Cessna yet? Anyways I better get going now but I'll email you again with the calling details in a couple of days. I love you both

April 27, 2010

Sorry my email was late last week, we had mission football in Cardiff and I forgot to warn you. Sorry about that. But it's all going good here. We're still working hard and trying to get somebody baptized. The problem is here in England it seems like no one cares about God, but we try to make it all work out. Oh well. So you have been talking to Elder Rapana's mother still. Their family is really cool. Quite a few of the kids are adopted as well, they are way cool.
Elder Spence and Elder Largesse are both going home next week so maybe you'll get a visit from one of them soon. Spence said he was going to go try to play football at ISU so he might stop in on his visit to the campus and stuff and Largesse is going to BYU-I so he'll be up there too. So don't be surprised to see them. I think you'll love them both if you get to meet them. We seem to be getting more DA's (dinner appointements) now than we were before. A couple of the previous missionaries were clock watching nazi's so they were a bit rude to some of the members if they were a minute or two late cooking the dinner and stuff so the members had a bit of a bad taste in their mouth about feeding us but we seem to be rebuilding the bridges that got burned so that's good. I haven't had barbecue anything since I got back here though cuz their idea of barbecue sucks and they don't like that kind of food anyway so we never see it. I wish though.
So Dad did you ever get to fly the new plane before all of the repairs and stuff? You've probably told me this already but I can't remember. I'm excited to get back to flying again. I miss that alot. You'll have to tell me how the memorial golf tourney goes and everything. I wish I could be there to play in it. But later I will. And yes I've gotten a ridiculous amount of mail lately. More cards than I can handle, lol. Thanks everyone for those!! Did you make address stickers for everybody or something? Anyways I better get going now. I love you guys.