2/27/2017

Well! It has been another solid week here in Watford!!! Life is good and we are enjoying the new transfer! Elder Williams is great missionary and example. He works super super hard and we have tons of fun together. Haha to be honest if you want to know what our companionship is like, just picture Hank and I serving together. Just loads of jokes and laughing. But we are working super hard and we have already seen some really really cool miracles. We got back from transfers on Wednesday and have just been hitting the streets. We have found loads of people, some are interested. Others not so much, but we have just been out and it's been great.

We had two highlights this week, first, our good friend J who came to church last week is a legend. We saw him this week and we extended a baptismal date to him for the 19th of march! And it was solid! He accepted and is so willing to work towards it. He is already on 2 Nephi 31 and he has had the Book of Mormon for 4 days. The Lord is really just preparing him! His father is a member in Ghana and is so happy for his son. It has been so lovely to see the support that J has.

The second highlight of the week was our good pal L was baptized on Sunday. He is 8 and made the decision on his own. His mother is a member but his father is not. We love the family so much. They are so supportive. They always feed us and make our lives better. It was such a sweet experience to be a part of. After the baptism, L said to Elder Williams and I, "One day, I will baptize my father, just like I was baptized today". It was such a spiritual experience for me! L understood the importance of what he had done, and realised that he knew it would help his dad as well.

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in L! He is such an amazing boy. He has a loving heart and he just makes everyone happy. I also saw the Lords Hand this week in J. I can see how prepared he is. He talked to us about how he did not want to join the church in Ghana, but that when he was invited to church here by a member, he felt that it was right. The Lord is mindful of all of us. His timing is sacred and special. I love it.

I love you all. It sounded like lax was good!!!! Parkin bros making some plays!!!! I love yooooouuu! Keep being the best.

No short cuts

Jake

2/21/2017

Wembley Stadium

Well! First things first, I am staying here in Watford. What an experience it has been!!! The sad news is that Elder Auras is leaving. We were pretty bummed to be honest. It has been the fastest transfer of the mission by far. It is seriously crazy to me. But the good news is that Elder Auras is going to Northampton!!!!! Hahaha he will also be serving with my boy Elder Lindsey so I'm super super pumped for them. My new companion is from Arizona and his name is Elder Williams. It should be another good transfer!

The week was good and we saw some cool things happen. We were on exchange in Britannia this week. It was super super fun. I was on exchange with Elder Burgess (MTC companion), finally we have been able to live the dream that we talked about since the MTC hahaha. It was a super super fun exchange. We found all day and just went university hopping and talked to tons of Chinese students. It was brilliant, we met some super cool people and we just had some good laughs about the MTC days. Without fail, every time I come to London, I realize how much I love it. I know you're all sick of me saying that, but it's a lovely place. Anyone who's been cannot deny it. It's a very special place to me and I'm super glad I have been able to serve in London for so much of mission, I've learned to love the business of the people and the excitement of finding someone in the crowds of people who is willing to act on the message we simply teach.

We had a cool experience this weekend while we were out tracting and I'll use it on my LORDS HAND section!

So we were out tracting and we saw the street called ALMA ROAD! Haha we had to hit it up! So we tracted it for about an hour and we finally got to a door where this younger girl answered. She was about 17 and she was super super kind! She offered to let us in and everything. We taught her the simple truths of the gospel on the porch and gave her a Book of Mormon. She had been looking for the church previously but was to afraid to find it as her father is not into the thought of church. I saw the Lords Hand in us meeting her another way. She was so happy. More opposition came as her dad pulled into the driveway while we were on her porch, he was not happy to say the least. We ended up not being able to see or teach her. But she promised us that she would read the Book of Mormon, and we believed her. I really saw the Lords Hand in giving her that opportunity.

Alma Road

Top of Alma Road

Life is good. I know that the gospel is true. It's such a blessing to share it here in England 24/7. I wouldn't change my life for the world. I love you all. It sounded like Sun Valley was a good time.

Love you All

No short cuts!

Jake

2/13/2017

Jacob was excited to see snow!

Snow and Rain this week!!!! Yes it snowed and it was super super cool hahahaha, but it did eventually turn into rain but It was so good while it lasted. It has been a lovely week here in Watford. It has been cold though!!! Straight to the bone is what all the English lads say hahaha and It's true. We are staying warm and just having the time of our lives out here. Elder Auras and I cannot believe that the transfer is over next week! It has gone so fast. Easily the fasted of my mission. For some reason it just seems like it didn't even start hahaha. But it has and its almost over. We are really happy and enjoying life though. Watford is such a cool place. We loved contacting in town. We always meet such cool people and we always have funny experiences hahaha. But overall life is good!!!! We had zone conference this week and it was super super uplifting and everyone was happy to see each other and especially President and sister Stevens!!! With the new changes, we will have interviews and zone conferences every transfer!! So it's going to be the best!!!!

We had a cool experience early this week! We met a way cool girl named M who is actually super interested in the Book of Mormon, we were walking to town and had just finished our prayer to open our finding block and I got a call from someone and answered it, as I answered it, Elder Auras kept walking and I saw this woman and I felt like we should talk to her and I so badly was praying that Elder Auras would stop her and he did! After the phone call I ran over and we talked to her for a while and she is super super coolllll!! So that was a sweet experience!

Zone conference was super super good! Ah President and Sister Stevens talked about how they had been up In Preston last week and that they visited all the places where the first missionaries had gone after the church was restored. They shared powerful stories about Heber C. kimball. It was such a great meeting. They said that Elder Holland had called them and given them an assignment to visit Preston and all the church sights hahaha. So it was so cool to hear them share how special it was up there. I feel so lucky to serve here in England, where the first missionaries were sent when the gospel was restored. It is a very special place.

Lords Hand

We saw the Lords Hand so much this week. So we were out doing a few stop by lessons and they all fell through. We decided to do some tracting before lunch. It was snowing and it was cold but we were super stoked and I was stoked that it was snowing haha, everyone outside thought we were crazy. We had gone for a while and said we were going to tract 3 more doors before we had to go. We knocked the first without luck, we knocked the second without luck, but on the third, a women opened the door and immediately let us in! Well we hesitated at first because we couldn't believe it!!!! Haha we looked at eachother first and said of course!!! We went in and simple talked about the Book of Mormon, the restored gospel, and the happiness it brings to us and to anyone who really wants to know. We gave her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read it with her husband. We left with joy in our souls. I cannot describe how it felt. The Lord was so mindful. The spirit was so strong as we testified of the plan of happiness and the prophet Jospeh Smith. The next morning we received a message from her telling us that she wasn't able to meet or learn more. We were sad but I really and truly felt so grateful that the Lord had placed her in our path. No matter what happens with her, she was able to feel the spirit as we simple testified. I have no doubt that she will accept the gospel one day as she feels the spirit again.

I love you all! Thank you for all you do! Life is good here in England across the pond. Sam dropped the cliff on milly. Haha our whole childhood was us sizing up that cliff haha. I'm happy it's been accomplished. I love you!!

No short cuts

Jake

Sam dropping the Milly Cliff

2/5/2017

Well!! It has been a busy week! A lot of driving in and out of London for meetings and interviews. We had a solid week none the less. This week has seriously flown by, I cannot even Believe it has gone so fast. It's seems like each week goes faster and faster. Weeks feel like days and days feel like weeks hahaha. It's really true. But we are happy and life has been good. We went to the Flandos for dinner on Sunday and it was sooooo good hahaha. We had a delicious roast dinner and it was so dang good. We are super super grateful for them and all that they do. They sent us home with a bunch of food for the week haha. They are the best. So that was a highlight of the week.

 "They had fasted since yesterday at 2pm. They put away 2 1/2 roasts, 4 Yorkshire puddings, carrots and loads of mashed potatoes! Growing boys! Oh and brownies!"

We didn't have much time in Watford this week but we did do some tracting on Saturday which I honestly haven't done for ages. I haven't done a proper tracting block since Bedford hahaha. I've just fallen in love with street contacting but it was good to change it up, sometimes routines kill us haha. It was so good!!! We found some wayyyy cool people. A family from Brazil and also a family from Albania. A few Ghanaians here and there too. So we are super excited to go back and visit them all and teach repentance!!!!

It was good to be in London the other day with the lads from the MTC!!! Ahhh haha it's so fun to just talk about the MTC and all the good memories. We talk about how we still don't really know what we are doing out here. But we are trying!!! So it's all good. We have all learned so much. I'm just grateful for the friends I have made here. Elder Burgess and I sat at lunch and just reflected on the last year and some. We cannot believe how fast it has gone, how much we have learned and changed. I have seen the Lords Hand in my mission. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in a woman we found in town from the Philippines. I gave her the last Book of Mormon I was carrying and her face lit up. She was so happy!!!! She couldn't believe that we had given it to her. She expressed such joy. I bore her my testimony that if she read it, she would come closer to Jesus Christ. I realized more than ever before, how much I love the Book of Mormon, how special it is to me personally. I really saw the Lords Hand strengthen my testimony and give us the chance to meet Maria. We are seeing her onTuesday!!! So we are super excited!!!

Love you all! Crazy that patriots came back! Hahaha I'm sure Matthew was happy about that. I love you all! Thanks for being the best.

No short cuts

Jake