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March 31, 2014

Hey! :D 

 I never know who to talk to in these letters, all of the readers in general, to my whole family, to just mom?   I always just type and see how it comes out.

So do you like The Fault in Our Stars?  John Green is kind of a guilty pleasure for me... ahaha, Looking for Alaska by him is really good too.  Maybe that should be your next read.  I heard that the Book Thief film was rubbish, but if you liked it maybe we'll see.  I've been seeing the posters for Noah around lately and it's making me so jealous.  What a great cast, and director.  I'm really happy to hear that Rhett has a good taste in church hymns.  'I stand all amazed' at how smart he is too (:   Yeahh I think I got the pictures you sent last week.  That's good, I really like pictures!  What a party, living with the Zacharys!  That will be fun. 

So this week has been like the rest of them.  We've worked hard, we're constantly becoming better missionaries, but having very very very little success (numbers wise).  We taught a total of 2 lessons this week to investigators and 4 to Less Actives.  In Preach My Gospel though it says this:

'When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself. You can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you.'

It also talks about we can know we're successful when we do things like feel the spirit work through us, serve others, obey with exactness, develop Christ-like attributes, etc. 

It doesn't say anything about numbers of baptisms or people you teach.  I feel that the Lord is pleased with the work we are doing.  It does suck though being in what is called in the mission field a 'drought'.

Last Monday was just a normal P-Day, we just hung out, did some shopping, and ended up at the chapel at around 6.  We went on a small exchange to go finding and Elder Ruka and I talked to a couple really nice ladies.  We then taught English.  At English Ladi, one of the Albanians, whispered in Elder C's ear 'what do I need to do to get baptized?'  That was a great miracles but, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Tuesday morning we woke up and went to see Maria after the disaster last Sunday.  We just could stop at the doorstep and had another huge disappointment when she said that they couldn't come to church this week because it was their sister in laws birthday and they were having a party.  We then went to teach S and had a really really powerful lesson with him.  We promised him powerful blessings and left him a commitment to essentially make a decision now.  I left, personally feeling like I had been more bold than I ever imagined I would be.  It's great when you feel the power and authority of your calling coming out when you're faithful to the promptings you get. 

That night we went around looking for old names out of the area book, and going to find them.  Turns out most of them have moved away.

Wednesday we had a district meeting in the morning where we talked a lot about our desires and what the Lord desires.  Most people's lives are centered around themselves.  Some missionaries at the end of their missions 'lose their desire'  This shows us that they haven't aligned what they want with what the Lord wants.  It shouldn't be our personal desire motivating us, although having the desire is a big benefit, it should be the commitment we have to the Lord and his Gospel.  We went to visit CW, a Less Active because his wife has been working a ton.  We had ward coordination then  a lesson scheduled with a guy we found the day before but he had given us a false address...  I wish they wouldn't waste our time and just tell us no the first time.

Thursday was a day full of fixing the area book.  We spent all day going around and knocking on former investigators doors.  Most had moved just like on Tuesday.  We talked to this 77 year old man named George that was hilarious.  He was moving big logs to his back garden and we went to help him but he didn't want it.  We helped him anyway and started talking.  He was cussing so much and laughing.  He was a really nice and funny guy.  He called us the God Squad and then started laughing at how Americans eat syrup all over their breakfast.  We had ward council and English at the same time on Thursday night so I took English with Elder Ruka and the rest went to ward council.  Ladi didn't come to English that night, not sure why. 

Friday we had a lesson at 11 AM with a referral.  A sikh guy named Seera, this was sad.  Elder Tupou and I were just a little late, and we had missed him.  I felt so bad that it was our fault this time.  We went back to the flat and weekly planned then after that went on exchange.  I was with Elder Ruka for the night and the next day.  We had a DA with the Maloneys then a ward activity.  We indexed and did some other family history activities.  It was well fun.  We won the indexing contest because of that activity we did years ago where we indexed.  Once at the Johnsons and once at our house. 

Saturday Elder Ruka and I got up and studied, then went out to work.  The weather was insanely beautiful.  We spent a lot of time in the Sarehole Mill footpaths.  This is were JR Tolkien the Author of the Lord of the Rings books grew up and this area inspired the books.  We went there and talked to a lot of great people.  Everyone there was just so happy and willing to talk to someone.  Nobody was interested really in the gospel though.  We also stopped by a former investigator named Sharon who opened the door and nearly in tears said she really needed our help.  We set an appointment for Sunday at 3.  That was a miracle we were really excited about.  We had Shepherds pie for dinner at the Watsons house.  We exchanged back at about half 8.

This Sunday was mothering Sunday in England!  'mothers day'.   We went to church and had a good first couple of meetings.  Elder Tupou and Elder Chardon were speaking.  They both gave great talks about mothers.  I was thinking how in just over a month I'll skype y'all for mothers day.  It seems like yesterday I skyped for Christmas!  After Church we came to our flat and changed then went straight to Sharon's... her son answered the door and said she wasn't in, that she went out.  All the great things are just falling through time after time.  We went finding in the same Sarehole mill for a little bit and talked to the most stout athiest I've ever met.  He would have nothing to do with God.  Then to some Chinese people and whoever else we saw.  We then visited a the less active named tony and invited him to watch conference.  Then it was dinner time and call ins.

So another week of not much happening, even though we're working hard.  I sometimes wonder what more we can do.  We constantly are making goals to talk to more people and to change what we are doing but nothing seems to be working.  This past week we were trying the area book.  This week, I'm not sure yet.  We'll see. 

I'm glad that everything is going well at home.  I love you all,

-Elder Pogue