2/29/2017

Well! It has been a really really solid week here in London north. It has been such good weather as well! Oh my. It was a solid 76 degrees like every day this week. Just the last few days we have had some rain which has been a bit rough but it's all good. We are still enjoying the rain because it is actually super super warm still. So it feels nice. I actually forgot about how rough the summer can actually be here. It's super super humid here all the time and we are always sweating! Haha but overall, it was a good week. We are back in short sleeves and we are enjoying ourselves. We also have been going on runs and we live in a super super nice area so it's super nice to run through, there is a place called parliament that looks out over the city. So that is super nice to run up to!



Well overall it was a good week. To be honest, the weather helped a lot. But we have had some cool highlights. So first things first, we had a really really cool lesson with M and L. They are both great! We were able to go over and have a really really powerful lesson with them about the plan of salvation and we drew it out on a piece of paper and it was just a very uplifting experience. They have been reading and praying and for the last 3 weeks they have come to church every week! It has been super super good. They come and totally enjoy it, they stay for all 3 hours and they even attended a ward activity this week for couples and they loved it haha. The ward is super super supportive and have already fellowshipped them super super well. So we are beyond grateful for that.

The next highlight would have to be when we met a woman named Aline. She is super super cool. So we were sitting down and she walked passed us and she started talking to us about how she is a Christian and that she has always wanted to increase her faith in Christ. So we jumped up haha and were super super excited. The cool part was that elder Tyltin and I had just done a role play teaching Book of Mormon and the woman asked about the Book of Mormon and we were able to teach her about it and testify of it. It has been super super cool to see that the Lord placed us in her path and placed her in our path. Either way. We are grateful and we really feel that the Lord was mindful of us and her. We should be seeing her tomorrow.

Well that's basically our week. I was on exchange in lea valley with Elder Botta, it was good to be back and it was super super sweet. Haha it was a bit bitter sweet to see the old area and remember a lot of the good days.

I bought a suit today for 60£ for sale and I also bought a few white shirts. So that was nice.  We were in Oxford Circus today haha such a cool place. But momma you would love where we love. You should just search online Hampstead. It's a lovely area. We love it.

I love you momma! Miss you lots. See you soon haha.

5/22/2017

Well it'll be another quick on this week as we don't have much time! But it was a fast flying week and we saw some sweet miracles as a companionship. The Lord is mindful of us as his missionaries. We had a lovely P day today as well! We went into the city and Elder Tyltin really enjoyed being there. It was good to show him around and it's always nice to be in London. It's such a beautiful place! The weather the last few days has all of a sudden gotten really really nice. This whole last week we didn't have a day that it didn't rain, and on Tuesday and Wednesday it rained all day haha so that was nice. But overall it was a solid week! We are enjoying our time out here in London North.

A highlight from the week was teaching a new friend named S. He has a Muslim background but we were able to meet with him and teach him about the Book of Mormon and how it can help him understand the purpose of life and Jesus Christ. He was willing and he felt the spirit. He accepted a baptismal date and he are hoping to see him a few times this week and get him to church! Another highlight was teaching our fav couple L and M haha. They ate brilliant. We love them. They are reading and praying each day and they came to church again this week. They also are planning to attend the couples evening at the church this Friday! So it's going to be a good week for them!



We had interviews this week. Ah it was great. President and sister Stevens are the best. It was super uplifting and I love them haha. We also had a funny experience the other day. We were walking down the street and a member pulled off on his bike and came and talked to us, he was a member in Watford! His name is Brother Bromfield. I forgot to tell you but he served in London south when grandfather and grandmother were there. He shared his love and gratefulness for them. It was sweet. He got us some dinner while he was at it. It was super super cool!



Lords Hand We saw the Lords Hand this week in the people we met. We met a girl named V on the train and she was so cool! She doesn't live around here but she is super super interested in what we have to share. She visits her mum when she is here and she is planning to attend church with us next week. I'm grateful for the small things that happen each day as missionaries.
Love you all! You're the best! Jacob

5/15/2017 Mother's Day

Well! First things first, it was so good seeing everyone. Ahhh it's the best. I love you. I hope you had the best Mother's Day mom. I love and miss you. It will be a quick one today. It was busy, we were in Hyde Park this morning and we played some football  and it was a good old time!!! I'm getting pretty good hahahaha. Just kidding. But Tottenham beat Manchester United this last week so that was sick hahahaha it was pretty crazy around here! But we were stoked about that! It was good to be with some missionaries that I've served around in the past. Especially Elder Botta, the Italian legend hahah. So it'sbeen good!

My new comp is from Ukraine! He is great haha. We are enjoying life and trying to find as many Russians and Ukrainians to teach haha. The highlight of the week was for sure finding M and L. So they were formers and we decided to stop by them on Thursday, We were able to go see them and teach them just the importance of the Book of Mormon and what it means to find out if it really is true. They were totally focused and we were able to extend a baptismal date for the 17th of June!!!! It was seriously super super cool! We felt super grateful that the Lord gave us that opportunity. We were very humbled. They came to stake conference on Sunday and totally enjoyed it. The talks were great and it was just the perfect setting.
Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in being finding L and M. They were both at home together when we stopped by when they usually are not. It was perfect. Their son was baptised while visiting Japan and is now a super active member there. I saw the Lords Hand in their son setting such a great example to them. They have a desire to have the happiness that they have seen change their sons life.

Love you all! Keep being the best.
No short cuts
Jake

5/9/2017 "Back to Hyde Park Stake"

Well!! After 3 solid transfers here in Watford, I will be leaving and going to the London north ward! It will be an adventure hahaha that's for sure. I'm sad to be leaving such a wonderful place but I'm just going down the road. I'm grateful for the people I have met here and
the experiences I have had. I feel super lucky to have met J and see him change his life and really come to know that the gospel is true. He received the priesthood recently and has changed even more. I look forward to hearing about his wife and two sons coming to England and learning about the gospel as well.

It was a fast week but a lot of solid memories. So early in the week we had a meeting in the city and it was great. We were able to receive lots of training and council from President and Sister Stevens. Ah I love them so much. Spending time with them is always such a blessing as a missionary. There is something so special about them and I'm grateful for it. The drive back from London was beautiful. It always takes ages to get out of the city but it's cool to drive through and see harrods and all the cool shops.



We had a great rest of the week! We found a super super cool girl named N on Thursday and I was on exchange with my boy Marcus on Friday and it was such a fun exchange. We just were super happy to be together, we kept getting really pumped about the fact that two friends from home were now serving together for a day. We were able to teach N the restoration together and it was so powerful. I felt super lucky to be testifying of the gospel with Marcus. It was a special experience and N later on accepted a baptismal date for June and she is incredible. She came to church and loved it and has already received her own personal answer about the restored gospel and that's it's true. The next morning Marcus and I headed out to a place called Hemel to teach another guy named R. We were able to also teach him about the restoration and extend a date to him! It was just a good day to say the least. We had some good chats while driving about the mission life and about the glory days in slc haha. It was super good.

Marcus...a buddy from SLC

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We finished the week off strong with a lovely lunch at the Flandros on Sunday. David gave me a pretty cool gift. A book written by my great great great great grandfather about his mission in London. It was so cool and I'm super super grateful for the Flandros and all they have done.



Lords Hand
I saw the Lords Hand this week in Nicole. She has been going through some hard things in her life. But she hasn't let those things control how she acts. I saw the Lords Hand in preparing her for the message of the restored gospel. She is a perfect example of coming to know for herself of the truthfulness of the gospel. She has prayed and fasted for an answer and it has come and she has such a desire to learn more and more. I also saw the Lords Hand in being able to work with Marcus. We had a good time and felt the spirit powerfully together. We had a legendary day together and are seeing fruits of it in N.

I love you. So crazy that we are talking next weeek!!!!! Hahahaha super super stokeddddddd!!!!! It'll be the best. Love you! EAST LAX GET THE WIN AGAINST CORNER CANYON!!!

No short cuts
Elder Parkin

5/1/2017

SLC Boys

Well the caption with be explained with the photos I will send. But I was with Marcus this week and we had a good time. So we are stoked. We also have an exchange on Friday this week and we are going to work our little buns off out here in England. So we are looking forward to that. It is super strange seeing him around hahaha but we love it. It's just like home. He's a powerful missionary and he's doing great things over here in Enfield.

The week was fast and we are tired haha like always, but happy. So we really saw the Lords Hand in many ways this week. With people being found on the street, or just small little things in our daily lives as missionaries. The week was packed with finding, stake conference, and Elder Williams birthday hahaha. So I will start with finding, we were out talking to people and we stopped a really cool Indian man who turned out to be very interested. His name is J and he is totally prepared. He has a lot of soul searching questions and has a very sincere desire to find the answers to them. we are seeing him tomorrow! To be completely honest. I am still so amazed at the diversity of England and especially greater London (Watford) there are so many different people here. 

Elder Williams and I are starting to make a map of all the people we have talked to and which countries they are from. And to be honest, we would only be missing a few. It's absolutely incredible. I never would have imagined teaching such a diverse group of people. I had never even met someone from Poland, Romania, Syria, etc, but now we talk to them every single day. I feel so blessed to meet so many of a Gods children, it is very special to me.

Chilean family in the ward

We had an exchange in The city this week! Ahhhhh back to the stomping grounds. It was good to be back that's for sure. We taught some cool Chinese people and even saw some people that I taught over a year ago. We saw A which was super super good. He's doing well and seems super happy. It's always so good being back there and always sad leaving.

Stake conference was super super solid. Elder Sabin of the seventy was there and he spoke to us! He spoke in such a simple way, it was very powerful. He talked about so many things but put them into such a perfect perspective. I was able to learn and take away a lot. His general conference talk from just a few weeks ago was one of my favourites as well haha so it was great to hear from him again.

Lords Hand
I saw the Lords Hand this week in stake conference. I was able to receive a lot confirmations from the spirit and answers to questions that I've had and that I came with. I have felt such a peace over the last few weeks with my mission, I love it here. I see the Lords Hand daily in what I am doing here. I would not change my experience here for the world. I'm grateful that I can find joy in the little things, it's taken me a while to finally figure it out. I have seen the Lords Hand in helping me do that.

I love you all! Stoked the Jazz are doing well hahaha, it even big over here, it will be great conversation on the street to introduce the gospel in some way! So we are stoked!!!

I love you!!


No short cuts

Jacob