Alrighty I read all my mail and so now I'm beginning to respond to it all.
I'm so sorry Katie and Jack had that happen to them, that's really, really hard. You would almost wish once the mom decides to go one way or the other that they'd be forced to stay but it is her child. I really hope Katie and Jack are ok. I really have no idea how much that hurts, the closest thing I've seen on my mission like that (and not like that at all) was a mom with her baby we contacted that seemed interested in the Book of Mormon, but last night we visited and her husband was nice but pretty anti-Mormon and she left the room probably because we were on the edge of Bible Bashing. It would really hurt if she couldn't or won't join the church because her husband doesn't believe or want to believe for whatever reason.
On a brighter note, last Wednesday we ran into a 17-year old boy and gave him a Book of Mormon but since it was an exchange Elder Shrubb didn't have him in his list of New Investigators and we didn't make a specific time plan to see him. Yesterday when all our plans fell through we had time to go see him and when I spoke to him he told me that he had read and prayed and had felt something weird and different. He hasn't told his parents and he wasn't sure how to proceed and Elder Shrubb was distracting his brother so we could talk without hindrence, so I did the best I knew to encourage him to talk to his parents about it and I gave him a pass along card with Mormon.org and he said he would definitely call us so I'm really hoping for him. He seemed gentle and sincere enough to really be ready for the gospel and so I really want him to move forward. This was my first real time like this to see the spirit work in someone else's life that I had seen directly from my actions and it was pretty special.
Onto less important things, I realized one or two big things I forgot about CDs and stuff. I REALLY REALLY want the 2009-2010 Men's Chorus Archival CD. I was supposed to get one free at the end of last year but I missed it so like I don't know if you could contact Sister Hall or Nathan Wright and ask them about that or if you can even buy one right now but like I would really love that cause it's obviously mission appropriate and also very close to my heart. On the same lines, either in snail mail or in email I would really like the words to the English Hymn "I heard the voice of Jesus Say" you may remember it as a congregational or audience-including song from one of our concerts to the same tune as If You Could Hie to Kolob. Whatever way you'd like to send it would be nice and appreciated. Now, Christa is a punk and didn't respond to what I sent her last week so I don't know any of her thoughts but along with Come Thou Fount by Sufjan I'd like Christa to select other songs that he has made that are peaceful and spiritually uplifting, and like I said considering my companion has the Last Samurai Soundtrack I think there's a bit of leeway, so long as it isn't distracting. And since we spend lunch and dinner when we don't have Dinner Appointments at our flat listening to music, all extra music would be appreciated. I will say the Kenneth Cope stuff is a bit weird and we haven't listened to it a whole lot. And so yes CDs like How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack and maybe LotR Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the King as well as any other soundtracks that would be uplifting and not too reminiscient or distracting ( not sure what an example of this would be, maybe like video game music is off the list). EFY Themes/CDs for 2008,09,10 would also be nice because it's appropriate and upbeat, which makes the line for what's appropriate(like Sufjan Stevens) even grayer. Maybe when I have a President Interview I'll ask him how he feels, but I trust Christa too so if you want to send a package sooner directly to Kidderminster (like 4 weeks left until I MIGHT leave) feel free to include the Sufjan songs Christa approves.
I must confess I did not write anyone last week because I was tired and because I didn't feel like I had a lot to write, especially to family that gets this email anyway but I'll do a few letters today likely. I also have 1 letter from everyone since I've been in the field and even though it's not your fault it is a little bit of a downer, so hopefully Thursday(Zone conference with an area authority, I think the Area President of Europe) I'll get tons of mail that was sent to the mission home.
Lots of love and who knows what more I'll write!
Love
Ryan
Ok the first one has pretty much everything, but I did remember, when it comes to packages I don't know England enough to crave specific foods they don't have here, so unless you make something homemade and really want to share it with me food is not a high priority in packages. Also tell everyone I can't afford to convert $ to £ here easily so send me pounds or virtually add it to my debit card and just inform me.
Trying to think of any last minute things, I love music and we listen to a lot of it and our selection is limited so I would love that sometime roughly soon. Christa said she'll try and send me a tape sometime and that does sound nice so if you want to slip that into a package that could work too, although it is a little early for too many tapes(hers is just about mission life and I think it would help).
I'm trying to love the work and it is getting a little easier and I think it's already beginning to kinda rush by. Technically I've been in the field for like 1 month but only in my area for, well, almost 2 weeks I think, and it feels a little quick already. Maybe it'll REALLY rush by once I settle into everything and it becomes normal, but right now it's not like a dragging painful thing, though it will hit that point briefly every once in awhile. I really want my first baptism because I almost feel like I don't really understand what I'm trying to do out here until I see that, and really develop a love for the people, the work, myself being here, and Jesus Christ who's work it is.
Well that's about it, obviously when you hunt for addresses let them know why you're giving them to me, and at the same time maybe talk to relatives of those I've asked for in the MTC so I can know where they are in the MTC.
I have to say I made a post-mission bucket list which is probably not the best thing, but there are some things that in the bustle of life I've forgotten I really want, or really want to do, so I'd say it's like a better in the good, better, best. Missions without TV and games and everything help you see the world differently like that, and I want to take advantage of "Mission Amnesia" as I call it (Elder Shrubb can remember that there was a song that was one of his favorites, but he can't remember who made it, what it's called, or anything about the tune) I've had a similar experience with a song I liked briefly before the mission, but I still have the entire Blue Album by Weezer logged safely away so it's not afflicting me too much now. But, the real way I'll take advantage of it is so that, as Dad keeps musing, what if you could read The Lord of the Rings again? Well it won't be completely new, but hopefully I can read it and not have Ian McKellin(Spelling?) slated as Gandalf Etc. Cause I saw Fellowship of the Ring before I read any of them.
Well Love, Take Care, BYE!
Ryan
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
June 22, 2010
I had my first real crazy experience this week when we went and taught a new investigator that had committed to baptism. When we came she was talking about something in the sky, and how Jesus was in the sun. I was a little shocked and confused and speechless but when my comp asked if she would say a prayer with us she was like 'oh yeah sure.' We then had a semi normal conversation until she talked about some crazy things again and stormed off. She did tell my comp that he didn't even realize who was sitting next to him (me) so I'm wondering what she thought I was, but oh well.
We have some good investigators that are close to baptism but not quite there yet. One who is still sorting things out knows it's true but wouldn't commit to setting a baptismal date yesterday, although we kinda hammered her with our testimonies, so that was a little sad.
But oh yeah biking in England is nuts. The first day I had my bike we went to head out and my companion just shoots off. I do my best to go down strange streets and keep up with him but I was like what the heck I can't keep up. I also found out missionaries are really good at slowing down and speaking to people as they pass them on bikes, but I found out that skill takes time to learn. So my companion would stop and start talking and I would screech to a semi-controlled halt next to him and be like what's going on? And, well by then it was time to move on. It also didn't help that that first night it was rainy, so less people were outside and I was trying to figure out this bike thing and it was just depressing, probably one of the worst experiences of the mission so far, but things are better now with bikes and it hasn't rained since then.
I had a mini exchange with a missionary that's like 3 transfers out, and that was good because it was someone besides Elder Shrubb to give me a bit of perspective. It was also nice to briefly have an American companion.
Oh yeah if you make a package which you don't need to for now, at least not immediately, I do need those flossing threaders for my permanent retainer. there should either be some in my old bathroom or you can obtain them at the orthodontist or dentist. But you don't need to send a package soon and I might have/less things for packages next week in email, so probably not package sending time yet. and Packackes can be sent to either my flat or the mission home, either is fine with me and mission is probably preferred in case I do get transferred and packages take awhile. Well, love everyone a ton and I'm excited to have a normal P-day today! Don't count on me emailing later next week but I do think I'll try.
Oh and very quickly, yes bike purchase from the debit card worked ok. I think the total bill ended up at 200£ whatever that ammounts to in USD. I think like 300$.
I have found out wonderous news that we can listen to music with 'acceptable lyrics, that uplifts and invites the spirit.' Considering our flat has 'Last Samurai' Soundtrack and Fellowship of the Ring, I guess that can extend to a fair range of things. So, since I love music so much and from 6:30 to 8:00 we can pretty much have music going, I was thinking of some music I would like. I leave the selection ultimately to your discretion but this is the wishlist I was sorta making.
Tabernacle Choir: America (the one with American hymns and stuff, so I can play that with another American Elder)
Tab Choir: Spirituals (any one of the CDs they may have recorded of spirituals)
Sufjan Stevens Christmas: This one Christa I think will have to decide which one to give me, since she is familiar with missions and music and stuff, but I know I totally find most or all of it uplifting.
Any other Sufjan Stevens that's religious or peaceful and uplifting: Again to Christa's discretion and selection.
How to Train Your Dragon: You know how much I love it, and while it might be distracting because it'll make me think of the music, Elder Shrubb has been sick and he crashed recently for like 6 hours Sunday, and so if nothing else I would like it as a secret weapon to keep myself from going insane if I ever have sick Elder cabin fever. And some of the songs are just uplifting period for daily listening.
Naturally you don't have to send me any or all of that but those were the ones I was thinking of.
On to the topic of letters, I have found out that even though it says to send letters to the mission address so they can be sent to me, that means I have to wait for district meetings or zone conferences or interviews. In other words, Anything and everything you've sent to the mission (besides 1 letter Jamie sent, tell her thanks) is chilling somewhere with President Ogden or someone and I don't know when I'll reach it. So, until next transfer (to calculate, last transfer was Wednesday and they last 6 weeks) my new address for letters that will actually daily get to me is *Flat 2, 29 Ray Mercer Way Kidderminster Worcestershire, DY10 1NX*
Also Lauren said my emails are coming as streams of letters, is that true? I know I'm using the space bar in these letters so maybe she was talking about my cramped writing on the letter. Speaking of the letters did they confuse you how the letter is the envelope? I know that's weird but apparently it makes it much cheaper to send them that way instead. Alrighty I'll send this epistle then read a little more mail than mail some specific people than email you anything else that comes to mind for you(mom) and just general forwarding knowledge.
Love!
Ryan
We have some good investigators that are close to baptism but not quite there yet. One who is still sorting things out knows it's true but wouldn't commit to setting a baptismal date yesterday, although we kinda hammered her with our testimonies, so that was a little sad.
But oh yeah biking in England is nuts. The first day I had my bike we went to head out and my companion just shoots off. I do my best to go down strange streets and keep up with him but I was like what the heck I can't keep up. I also found out missionaries are really good at slowing down and speaking to people as they pass them on bikes, but I found out that skill takes time to learn. So my companion would stop and start talking and I would screech to a semi-controlled halt next to him and be like what's going on? And, well by then it was time to move on. It also didn't help that that first night it was rainy, so less people were outside and I was trying to figure out this bike thing and it was just depressing, probably one of the worst experiences of the mission so far, but things are better now with bikes and it hasn't rained since then.
I had a mini exchange with a missionary that's like 3 transfers out, and that was good because it was someone besides Elder Shrubb to give me a bit of perspective. It was also nice to briefly have an American companion.
Oh yeah if you make a package which you don't need to for now, at least not immediately, I do need those flossing threaders for my permanent retainer. there should either be some in my old bathroom or you can obtain them at the orthodontist or dentist. But you don't need to send a package soon and I might have/less things for packages next week in email, so probably not package sending time yet. and Packackes can be sent to either my flat or the mission home, either is fine with me and mission is probably preferred in case I do get transferred and packages take awhile. Well, love everyone a ton and I'm excited to have a normal P-day today! Don't count on me emailing later next week but I do think I'll try.
Oh and very quickly, yes bike purchase from the debit card worked ok. I think the total bill ended up at 200£ whatever that ammounts to in USD. I think like 300$.
I have found out wonderous news that we can listen to music with 'acceptable lyrics, that uplifts and invites the spirit.' Considering our flat has 'Last Samurai' Soundtrack and Fellowship of the Ring, I guess that can extend to a fair range of things. So, since I love music so much and from 6:30 to 8:00 we can pretty much have music going, I was thinking of some music I would like. I leave the selection ultimately to your discretion but this is the wishlist I was sorta making.
Tabernacle Choir: America (the one with American hymns and stuff, so I can play that with another American Elder)
Tab Choir: Spirituals (any one of the CDs they may have recorded of spirituals)
Sufjan Stevens Christmas: This one Christa I think will have to decide which one to give me, since she is familiar with missions and music and stuff, but I know I totally find most or all of it uplifting.
Any other Sufjan Stevens that's religious or peaceful and uplifting: Again to Christa's discretion and selection.
How to Train Your Dragon: You know how much I love it, and while it might be distracting because it'll make me think of the music, Elder Shrubb has been sick and he crashed recently for like 6 hours Sunday, and so if nothing else I would like it as a secret weapon to keep myself from going insane if I ever have sick Elder cabin fever. And some of the songs are just uplifting period for daily listening.
Naturally you don't have to send me any or all of that but those were the ones I was thinking of.
On to the topic of letters, I have found out that even though it says to send letters to the mission address so they can be sent to me, that means I have to wait for district meetings or zone conferences or interviews. In other words, Anything and everything you've sent to the mission (besides 1 letter Jamie sent, tell her thanks) is chilling somewhere with President Ogden or someone and I don't know when I'll reach it. So, until next transfer (to calculate, last transfer was Wednesday and they last 6 weeks) my new address for letters that will actually daily get to me is *Flat 2, 29 Ray Mercer Way Kidderminster Worcestershire, DY10 1NX*
Also Lauren said my emails are coming as streams of letters, is that true? I know I'm using the space bar in these letters so maybe she was talking about my cramped writing on the letter. Speaking of the letters did they confuse you how the letter is the envelope? I know that's weird but apparently it makes it much cheaper to send them that way instead. Alrighty I'll send this epistle then read a little more mail than mail some specific people than email you anything else that comes to mind for you(mom) and just general forwarding knowledge.
Love!
Ryan
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
June 16, 2010
Today is a P-day because of transfers but usually in my mission they are on Tuesdays. I can receive email from other people but I'm not supposed to, just so the temptation isn't there so I guess don't give my email address out, or tell them to minimize any emailing, or just to write me letters instead! Sadly that also applies to other missionaries so I guess I'll be writing lots of letters, since it's probably not encouraged for me to write letters to everyone through you. Well I love you and I already wrote Christa the following paragraphs but feel free to forward them to everyone. I'm really in the real world again, it's pretty crazy. I miss you and I miss everyone from the MTC already, but I guess that's what transfers and leaving (Gasp!) will feel like. It was a little hard to leave the MTC, I'm scared to think of how hard it'll be to leave the mission. The Assistants to the President were saying how they didn't want to leave, and one of them is engaged, so that's a little thought-provoking and slightly frightnening, just because while I certainly don't want to leave now, it wouldn't shatter me if I had spent 2 years here and they said it was time to go home, feeling the way I do now. Who knows, I probably can't even fathom the changes that will happen over the next 23ish months. Wow, it is a little scary to think 20 days are almost over and that almost makes a full month. Well love you bunches and don't know what else to write, I'll work my hardest to keep a bright outlook as I hit the deer-in-the-headlights phase, write me something by next Tuesday I guess. Well we're about to head off on wild adventures! Love you!
Just arrived in my first area in Birmingham, Kidderminster in Worcestshire if you wanna try and pinpoint me on some map. It's close to Birmingham I think but I have no clue so who knows really. Today is P-day so I haven't begun tracting at all here yet but I'm excited to start doing some teaching later this evening, I think. My companion is Elder Shrubb from somewhere here in England, I'll be honest his accent is a little hard to follow so I have to ask him to repeat a bit but it's all good. It's weird being alone with only someone I met 4 hours ago and knowing I won't have a new companion for at least 6 weeks, likely 12. Don't know too much about this area but apparently we're going to work on an allottment tomorrow for service sooooo yeah, that'll be fun.
I was kinda expecting our flat to be a bit dingy or bare but there's lots of food (now that I think about it there's not too much you can just pack up in 2 days for transfers) left over and tons of random things, like some weights :D My companion says he's not too excited for exercise each day but that makes a little more sense when you consider we have no shower, just a bath. That's just bizarre to this poor American Greenie, but it sounds hilariously weird and awesome. Or I'll just convince myself it is. We're now in a library somewhere in the city(I have no idea where anything anywhere is!) and after this we'll go shopping for groceries for me so I can survive till next P-day. Tomorrow I'm supposed to buy a bike so I guess Mom and Dad get a nice deduction on my debit card balance, hopefully there's plenty on it.
It's kinda a bummer since President and Sister Clegg let me email yesterday very quickly, because I don't have anything real exciting to write beyond I'm in the field, excited to start and I have no idea what I'm doing, well sorta. I know the gospel and I know a bit about life and so now I need to use that to teach and preach and baptize. I guess I can mention some of the investigators my trainer told me about. We have one sister who is ready to be baptized(she follows all commitments and commandments and comes to church) but hasn't committed yet, a lady who has accepted a commitment to be baptized but might not be all there, a man who had a terrible past life but wants to turn his life around but he has schizophrenia, and another sister who I think they were teaching here but is gone on holiday(vacation) so we'll have to wait on that.
Love very much from you missionary,
Elder Ryan Baxter
Just arrived in my first area in Birmingham, Kidderminster in Worcestshire if you wanna try and pinpoint me on some map. It's close to Birmingham I think but I have no clue so who knows really. Today is P-day so I haven't begun tracting at all here yet but I'm excited to start doing some teaching later this evening, I think. My companion is Elder Shrubb from somewhere here in England, I'll be honest his accent is a little hard to follow so I have to ask him to repeat a bit but it's all good. It's weird being alone with only someone I met 4 hours ago and knowing I won't have a new companion for at least 6 weeks, likely 12. Don't know too much about this area but apparently we're going to work on an allottment tomorrow for service sooooo yeah, that'll be fun.
I was kinda expecting our flat to be a bit dingy or bare but there's lots of food (now that I think about it there's not too much you can just pack up in 2 days for transfers) left over and tons of random things, like some weights :D My companion says he's not too excited for exercise each day but that makes a little more sense when you consider we have no shower, just a bath. That's just bizarre to this poor American Greenie, but it sounds hilariously weird and awesome. Or I'll just convince myself it is. We're now in a library somewhere in the city(I have no idea where anything anywhere is!) and after this we'll go shopping for groceries for me so I can survive till next P-day. Tomorrow I'm supposed to buy a bike so I guess Mom and Dad get a nice deduction on my debit card balance, hopefully there's plenty on it.
It's kinda a bummer since President and Sister Clegg let me email yesterday very quickly, because I don't have anything real exciting to write beyond I'm in the field, excited to start and I have no idea what I'm doing, well sorta. I know the gospel and I know a bit about life and so now I need to use that to teach and preach and baptize. I guess I can mention some of the investigators my trainer told me about. We have one sister who is ready to be baptized(she follows all commitments and commandments and comes to church) but hasn't committed yet, a lady who has accepted a commitment to be baptized but might not be all there, a man who had a terrible past life but wants to turn his life around but he has schizophrenia, and another sister who I think they were teaching here but is gone on holiday(vacation) so we'll have to wait on that.
Love very much from you missionary,
Elder Ryan Baxter
We're allowed a quick email before we leave the MTC so I just wanted to say I love you and I'll probably write you Monday on email again but who knows where I enter the field.
Well I love you and I'm excited to serve and go to my mission and I'm surprised at how fast this MTC experience has gone and how close I feel to the presidency and my fellow missionaries. I think that's what it'll be like but even stronger when it comes time to go home, I guess Christa may have been right to be confused with her loss of being a missionary who knows! Love you and all the mail I'm getting, though I will say food in packages is wonderful but maybe permanent things like CDs are maybe better, I'll ask the mission president. I'll send a picture of the MTC people and missionaries next week when I have more time to tinker with computers, email is a little weird right now.
Love much much!
Ryan Baxter
Well I love you and I'm excited to serve and go to my mission and I'm surprised at how fast this MTC experience has gone and how close I feel to the presidency and my fellow missionaries. I think that's what it'll be like but even stronger when it comes time to go home, I guess Christa may have been right to be confused with her loss of being a missionary who knows! Love you and all the mail I'm getting, though I will say food in packages is wonderful but maybe permanent things like CDs are maybe better, I'll ask the mission president. I'll send a picture of the MTC people and missionaries next week when I have more time to tinker with computers, email is a little weird right now.
Love much much!
Ryan Baxter
Life here is pretty good I suppose. We went street tracting last Friday which was sort of a deer in the headlights thing, not so much because I didn't know how to teach and invite but because it was our first real taste of real people and real England so far since we became missionaries. My comp was a natural at it and that really helped me increase my respect for him.
As far as Elder Cameron and I go, it's pretty decent or good I guess. He mumbles a lot in Australian accent so sometimes it's like what? huh? whadya say? He also calls people "dillo" and says people are "slack" when they're lazy. That's for Alisa who asked about him. We have had times when it was just like 'hey Elder Cameron, cmon I need your help teaching the lesson.' That happened last night and I think he was unsettled about something or just homesick. The night before we taught a great lesson where we taught together in like perfect unity. Elder Cameron also knows more English stuff than we do so he'll be like, 'you don't call them biscuits?' and such.
I've learned a lot while I've been here and it's weird to think that like 2 weeks ago we were at Arches National Park. Things change so much for us as we grow here in learning and preparing to teach. It's pretty impressive. On the other hand, some things are hard, like strict obedience the way our Mission President here at the MTC wants us to be. I don't know exactly where we're supposed to draw the line, but he is a strict adherrent to "No light mindedness or loud laughter" which can be hard when we're enjoying each other's company. Some missionaries got in trouble for writing jokes on a marker board and it was just hard to try and understand why those things bothered him so much. He even said things like people who do that don't deserve to be here, which is odd considering how bad some missionaries in the field are.
I'm not really homesick though I do think of home every day, and I have to confess maybe I think more about the end of my mission or right after my mission than I should, I don't know. England is very pretty and a bit rainy here in Chorley near Preston, and the Temple is pretty small. I look forward to doing sessions with everyone when I get back to Provo.
Running short of time but nothing comes to mind now of what else I need to say and I think you already have a lot to read from me. I love letters so keep sending them to me.
Love you lots, miss you lots but not enough to slow down my work. Hope you all are having a great time and hope you're praying for me.
Love, Elder Baxter
As far as Elder Cameron and I go, it's pretty decent or good I guess. He mumbles a lot in Australian accent so sometimes it's like what? huh? whadya say? He also calls people "dillo" and says people are "slack" when they're lazy. That's for Alisa who asked about him. We have had times when it was just like 'hey Elder Cameron, cmon I need your help teaching the lesson.' That happened last night and I think he was unsettled about something or just homesick. The night before we taught a great lesson where we taught together in like perfect unity. Elder Cameron also knows more English stuff than we do so he'll be like, 'you don't call them biscuits?' and such.
I've learned a lot while I've been here and it's weird to think that like 2 weeks ago we were at Arches National Park. Things change so much for us as we grow here in learning and preparing to teach. It's pretty impressive. On the other hand, some things are hard, like strict obedience the way our Mission President here at the MTC wants us to be. I don't know exactly where we're supposed to draw the line, but he is a strict adherrent to "No light mindedness or loud laughter" which can be hard when we're enjoying each other's company. Some missionaries got in trouble for writing jokes on a marker board and it was just hard to try and understand why those things bothered him so much. He even said things like people who do that don't deserve to be here, which is odd considering how bad some missionaries in the field are.
I'm not really homesick though I do think of home every day, and I have to confess maybe I think more about the end of my mission or right after my mission than I should, I don't know. England is very pretty and a bit rainy here in Chorley near Preston, and the Temple is pretty small. I look forward to doing sessions with everyone when I get back to Provo.
Running short of time but nothing comes to mind now of what else I need to say and I think you already have a lot to read from me. I love letters so keep sending them to me.
Love you lots, miss you lots but not enough to slow down my work. Hope you all are having a great time and hope you're praying for me.
Love, Elder Baxter
June 2, 2010 MTC LIfe
Everything is going pretty great here, I'm glad Lauren misses me but hopefully she can deal with that, I think it's funny she's just now reading Enders Game. So far the MTC has been great, and Elder Hanks is in my district so I see him every day. I'v seen an Elder Fowers around because there are only 50 missionaries here. This is also the largest group of missionaries they've had in the past year, so this MTC is SMALL. The food has been surprisingly survivable. Some things like veggie fajitas were questionable and I barely ate half of what they gave me, but we've also had some good food. I'm even eating my veggies, well sorta. You might be surprised what I'll eat when I come back, as long as I pray before I eat it.
My companion is Elder Cameron from Australia. His accent and idioms are sometimes really hard to understand and he has a hard time finding alternate explanations for Australianisms. The first couple of time we practiced teaching as well he really struggled to communicate clearly and articulately, as well as simply speaking up at all. Fortunately I think his fears of talking to strangers about the gospel or his general shyness is dissipating, and we taught a great lesson last night. Well, role play but the role plays here have been really good. We have milestones for each step of teaching, and Monday we had our first one where we taught a member referral for the investigators first time. The emphasis on the lesson was to find what the investigator needed or would find most relevant and important about the gospel and then teach about it. They had some members and teachers in the area act as the investigator mostly, but we had the sister missionaries in the MTC. By the way, we have about 48 elders and 2 sisters. So yeah. Poor sisters. During the lesson we were talking about handling hard trials the Lord gives us, and during the lesson we asked one of the sister posing as the member with us in the lesson to share a time when she suffered a great trial. Keep in mind the investigator had just been divorced in the role play. She said, "Oh yeah, about a year ago, my puppy died." Kinda derailed everything and the poor sister realized how funny that sounded and tried to not laugh. We were on film and the entire scenario was very real so we needed to keep the spirit but it was really hard not to just burst out laughing. We survived, but I can't stop cracking up at the thought of it.
Don't have much else to say really, it's just sorta mission life. I'm excited to go street contacting Friday, and hopefully Elder Cameron and I have success. Besides the accents of the teachers and the food we're eating, it's a little hard sometimes to realize we're in England.
My companion is Elder Cameron from Australia. His accent and idioms are sometimes really hard to understand and he has a hard time finding alternate explanations for Australianisms. The first couple of time we practiced teaching as well he really struggled to communicate clearly and articulately, as well as simply speaking up at all. Fortunately I think his fears of talking to strangers about the gospel or his general shyness is dissipating, and we taught a great lesson last night. Well, role play but the role plays here have been really good. We have milestones for each step of teaching, and Monday we had our first one where we taught a member referral for the investigators first time. The emphasis on the lesson was to find what the investigator needed or would find most relevant and important about the gospel and then teach about it. They had some members and teachers in the area act as the investigator mostly, but we had the sister missionaries in the MTC. By the way, we have about 48 elders and 2 sisters. So yeah. Poor sisters. During the lesson we were talking about handling hard trials the Lord gives us, and during the lesson we asked one of the sister posing as the member with us in the lesson to share a time when she suffered a great trial. Keep in mind the investigator had just been divorced in the role play. She said, "Oh yeah, about a year ago, my puppy died." Kinda derailed everything and the poor sister realized how funny that sounded and tried to not laugh. We were on film and the entire scenario was very real so we needed to keep the spirit but it was really hard not to just burst out laughing. We survived, but I can't stop cracking up at the thought of it.
Don't have much else to say really, it's just sorta mission life. I'm excited to go street contacting Friday, and hopefully Elder Cameron and I have success. Besides the accents of the teachers and the food we're eating, it's a little hard sometimes to realize we're in England.
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