8/29/2016

Well fam bam,

It's been a great week. Don't have much time today but overall, everything has been good. The weather has been a bit moody haha, we had a few sunny days and we got a bit comfortable, which isn't okay to do in England so it decided to start raining at the end of the week non stop. But it's alllll good. Everything gets 10x more green after it rains so it's Beautiful. Some of the leaves are already changing which is pretty wild. Autumn will be here before we know it. But overall we have had some good lessons this week.

We were able to see L and R this week! They are brilliant! Lena loves reading the Chinese Book of Mormon and R loves praying. So we are pretty excited about them. We have been teaching them over Skype or Wechat with other Chinese members so it works out pretty well! We invited them to church this week and they both came and loved it. L shared how peaceful she felt during the sacrament. It was a great meeting as well, Elder Ammermon gave a talk and they really felt the Spirit. We are trying to have Skype lessons with them every day and seeing them in person 2 times a week. It's hard because they are

always so busy with school. But we can find time.

We taught Z a few times this week as well! She is super super good. She came to church as well. She has been plenty of times before but she has started to being her boys along. And they love it. She sends them off the primary and they just love it. She has a few things holding her back right now. Very small things. But she has had so many crazy experiences happen that really are answers to her prayers, she was going to be late to church and she made every single green light, and when she arrived, all the talks were about conversion stories. She first met the missionaries because she prayed for some to come around and like a few days later they knocked on her door. So she has had some cool experiences but she struggled to recognise them as answers sometimes. But we are helping her.

So it's been a lovely week here in duston. We are being fed a lot which is good. Don't worry momma haha. The ward is just so good. We struggled finding new people this week to be honest. Not much of anything. So this next week will be a bit slower. But we found some new places to contact so that will be interesting and super fun. I always love trying new places and just getting lost and meeting people that we wouldn't meet anywhere else and realising that the Lord places us in certain areas.

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in L and her willingness to read the Book of Mormon. She read in faith, knowing it would help her with her studies and it did. I'm grateful that the Lord was able to help her feel the comfort and understanding while she was studying.

Well I am stoked for the Utes to get a W. Let me know how the game goes. It's crazy that college football is starting. I'm already missing my second season haha. But I'm excited to hear how the Utes do! Love you guys! You're the best.

NO SHORT CUTS

Jake

What a Year!! 8/22/2016

The burning of a shirt tradition!!!!

Well what a year it has been! I cannot believe it has come so fast. I am looking forward to this next year more than ever. It's going to be sweetttt! A lot ahead and I'm super super excited. It still seems a bit strange that I was in the MTC a year ago. What a good time that was. It's crazy to see how far all the MTC buddies and I have come.

But it has been a killer week this week. The weather was nice for a few days and then the proper English weather came in hard and heavy. The rain was nonstop. But it was nice. It wasn't too cold outside so it was good. 

We were able to visit a lot of people and also contact a bunch up at the Northampton University! And yes, we found Chinese people like no tomorrow! It was the greatest thing. President allowed us to get Wechat on our ipads (which is like a Chinese Facebook) so we are just using that and finding tons of lovely Chinese people. We found two in particular that are great. Well we actually found them last week but taught them this week. So on Thursday we were on exchange with some elders and one of them was from China. So we taught a girl named L with this Chinese elder and it was a sweet lesson! Later on in the week we were able to teach L and a guy named R together! And it was such a powerful lesson. We taught super it very simply and they were Able to understand the importance of baptism. They both accepted baptismal Dates for the 25th of September. They went on in the lesson to ask how they would be able to take the sacrament in China after they were baptized. We told them there would be a place having faith that there would be meeting houses in their little cities in mainland China. They were very happy. We were also a bit worried hahahaha. But after the lesson we looked up meeting houses in both of their towns and we found one in each of the cities they live in! It was seriously super super cool! We were so grateful for that.

Using technology to teach!

We are also teaching a woman named Z. She has been meeting with missionaries in the past and we stopped by a few weeks ago. She has really been wanting to change her life around. She has 3 kids and a husband and they are just a great family. But she has been coming to church and really progressing. She is caught up on a few things but we will help her out. The ward is super super supportive and she is so welcomed when she comes to church. She really feels loved there. I feel super lucky to be in such a great ward.

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in finding meeting houses for Lena and Ricky's home towns in China. I'm grateful that the Lord trusted us to tell them that there really would be a place that they could partake of the sacrament after their baptisms. I'm grateful that they understand the importance of the sacrament. It just made me realize that sometimes I don't realize how lucky I am.

Well it was a lovely week here in duston. Times flyin. Stoked for my boy Marcus to get here. It'll be a good time. I love you guys! Keep sending it!

NO SHORT CUTS

8/15/2016

What's up fam!

Well it's been a pretty solid week here in Duston. We had a few meetings this week, one which was In London and it was lovely. I know I tell you how much I love London every week haha but I love it. Seriously it really is such a special place to me. But it was a good time. We saw the pals from the MTC again and also old comps so I was stoked. It was a brilliant meeting, more about Facebook and just using it effectively. But overall it was a great week. We saw some sick

things happen.

So on Tuesday we were finding with the little time we had and we were at the university, the only place in the whole area to find haha. Seriously the rest of our area is just tiny little English villages with huge farms. We go out and tract but people get pretty mad but we still hit it hard and do our best. But anyways, we were at the uni and I saw with my little eye.....some Flippin Chinese students!!! Oh my! You should have seen me. I was like the parkins brothers after it snows 24 inches up the canyon. We basically booked it but undercover. We stopped them and it was so great. I felt like I was back in Britannia, so we just talked and we set up appointments to see them and we did! It was just good to find some Chinese people. I'm sure Isaac knows what it's like being out of the Chinese ward and finding Chinese people. The only difference is I cannot speak any Chinese but it's okay. We are seeing 2 Chinese people again this week! So we are stoked about that.

We were able to blitz in Bedford this week! Wow it was so good being back! It was a flashback. But I loved it. We were able to find some cool people. We stopped by some old formers and they wanted to meet with the elders in Bedford so it was sweet. They are opening another area in Bedford and I'm really really hoping Elder Leone (Marcus) comes in. That would be sweet. I'm looking forward to the 7th of September to have him in the mission. He's going to love it here. Hopefully the weather stays nice for a while. But really the week has flown by and I cannot really remember what has happened and I left my journal at the flat.

The Lords Hand

I have seen the Lords Hand this week in the Lord placing people in our path even when we don't have tons of time to contact. We met the two Chinese people with just a few minutes into our finding and it was just a cool experience. I also saw the Lords hand this week in my studies. For some reason this week my studies have just gone perfectly. Everything seems to just bring the spirit and even help me during the day with people we would talk to.

I love you! I hope the beach was good. It seemed like everyone got tan, Sam maybe just got burned hahaha. Love you guys!

NO SHORT CUTS

JACOB

8/8/2016

Whattttttssss uppppp family!

This week has been a good week. I don't have much that's noteworthy or mentionable though. But it's crazy that Sam is home. Hahaha it doesn't seem real but it is. I hope he is getting all settled in and riding some waves on the beach and getting pitted haha. But I hope all is well and that you are enjoying the beach and just having a good old time getting some balboa bars and walking around the island.

So this week we have had some time outside of our area. On Wednesday we were in London for a meeting. And wow, it was long. Well it felt long to travel into London. I think I'm still used to the 15 minute ride on the tube. So it was a bit rough sitting on a train for an hour and a half hahaha. But it's all good. I'll get used to it. We were going to drive in which would have been sweet but elder tonks went over on miles and then decided to get transfered haha. But it's all good. The meeting was brilliant! It was so good to see all the boys back together! Elder Burgess, elder mecham, elder withers! And some more MTC guys. It was a great reunion. But the meeting was lovely and president and sister Stevens are just the best. The meeting focused a ton on proselyting on Facebook and through our iPads! We are one of the piloting missions for iPads in Europe so we are stoked about that! It's going to be sweet because the church has come out with some really great ideas and tools so we are trying to figure it all our and

get the mission going!

On Friday we had zone meeting and we just talked about the new Facebook ideas and online proselyting. We are super super stoked! We have already seen some great things happen just in the last few days. We just need to keep on it! We had a sweet miracle on scruffy though. So this girl we found didn't want to exchange numbers so we just gave her a pass along card with our number on it, a few days past and we didn't get a call, and to be honest, I've never gotten a call back my whole mission from just giving out my number. But on Saturday she called!!! Oh my elder ammermon and I were so pumped!!! It was so wicked! We saw her that day with a recent convert and she came to church Sunday! We are facing some opposition with her dad so it's been a bit tough recently but it's okay. We still have faith. But that was a sweet Moment! We hope we can see her soon.

Other than that the week just kind of flew by! It's weird, it's been a quick last few weeks. Times flying. The country side is beautiful, sometimes we are driving home from a long long block of finding and we drive through the country side and the sun is setting and it's just beautiful. We pull over for just a few minutes and enjoy it, it goes pretty fast, but it's worth it, it lights up the entire horizon and the hills just look beautiful. I saw the Lords Hand in that this week, I also saw the lords hand this week in Sam. I'm grateful for the example he has been the last 2 years. I've been lucky to have a missionary to look up to.

Love you guys!!!! Shred some waves at the beach! Get pitied in the shore break!

Jacob

Driving...