I Love Chinese People

We had a great week and just exhausting as well. On Wednesday night we went to eat at a the Carters home and taught one of there friends who has been coming to church! Right after the lesson we had to drive down to Colchester which takes about 2 hours from where we were. We stayed the night there so we wouldn't have to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to drive to London. On Thursday morning we drove into London for Mission Leadership Council. We started driving back at 6 and had to start planning for the meeting we were going to hold the following morning. We had the drive home to prepare and while I was driving, Elder Nolan was struggling to stay awake so not much was able to get done. Luckily by the end of the trip mostly everything was taken care of. Friday morning we Zone Training Meeting and it went so well! I love our Zone. They are doing some great work and just awesome missionaries. I really am enjoying my time right now.  

OH YEAH!! On Thursday was my 1 year mark! I can't believe how fast time has gone! It was cool being able to spend my One Year in the Hyde Park Chapel with President and Sister Jordan. 

On Friday we had Dinner with the Wilkins! They are so great. There son just left on his mission to the Scotland/Ireland Mission and they treat us so well. 

Saturday was a day of baptisms! Danielle was baptised for the other set of Elders in Norwich and she is Chinese student studying at the UEA. She bore the most powerful testimony I have ever heard and brought 12 friends to the baptism. A few also came to church on Sunday and one of them is now preparing for baptism! So amazing. Elder Nolan, Elder Paul and I sang at the baptism. After that we went to another baptism in Dereham and participated in the program there. It was a really good day. 

Sunday was just a great if not better. We baptised Neil on Sunday. He is also a Chinese student at the UEA and is so amazing. He read the whole gospel principles book and was teaching us by the end of each lesson. He brought 5 friends to the baptism and on came to church who we will see this week! I can't wait for China to open its doors to Religious Freedom. When that happens there will be so many leaders already in the church that are Chinese and it will just spread to rapidly. They have to most sweet and pure spirit and are just waiting to hear the gospel. 

Here is a funny video for my little cousins! I apologize in advance to you adult because it get stuck in your head quite easily. You will know what I am talking about when you watch it! 

http://www.mormon.org/amos?cid=HPMO062314269

Have a great week! 

I will send pictures soon....

Love,

Elder David

Good Things to Come

I had a hard week!

Wednesday I had my driving test to get my British Driving License and failed. I was quite angry with the driving instructor. One of our investigators wasn't able to be baptised this week and just other things added and added on! By Thursday night I thought this was never going to end. I did not see the blessings  that were right at the door step, literally.  One of the YSA's in our ward gave us a call and showed up with a free pizza for us. That was awesome. She just felt that we could use a pizza and she was right. I really needed that pizza. Not because I was hungry but because I felt down on a couple of things and really needed a pick me up. That pizza was a sign that I am never on my own. I thought it was pretty cool. 

I spent my Friday in London on an exchange with one of the Assistants. I just love London. I love it so much. The dirty homeless people, Big Ben, The Eye, Harrods, fast cars, suits, fashion, drunk dancing Irishman,  all of it. It is just a wonderful place. We spent our day around Tottenham Court Road talking to people and doing so errands for President. It was a pretty good day. I also got to be in the flat that I lived in previous to Norwich! It brought back so many good memories and even though that flat was rubbish, it was good to be home. 

On Saturday we spent our day traveling across England. We had to go to Gorleston in the morning to interview someone for baptism. After, Elder Nolan and I went to have Fish n Chips on the beach. Later on we traveled to Dereham to do another interview. 

 

Sunday was just great as well. We had a lot of our friends at church and some member brought their friends and we will be teaching them this coming week!  From Wednesday to Sunday our week had a completely different feel. I truly know that Good Things are to Come. My week was proof of that for me. I had the thought that the Lord had to bring me so low, so I could experience the high He had in store for me. I am thankful for the hard week. I am thankful to be out of last week. Really thankful. DId you watch the video last week? I hope it worked because I am doing another one. WATCH IT!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-05-12-good-things-to-come?lang=eng

Here are some pictures. I am really bad at taking them because I just forget but my companion is good at it.

1. The District

2. Please make a caption for this photo and send it to me... It has potential. 

3. Fish and Chips

Go on a Mission!

I am slowly creeping up on my year mark and it has just come way too fast. I was able to see the new missionaries last week in London and it just brings flash back every time. We help them experience their first day of finding and London and see the fear that comes into their eyes when it is their turn. At least the fear I was feeling was pretty real to me 1 year ago. The growth that has happened to me is quite weird. I never thought or could have imagined what a mission was like.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into but the Holy Spirit has testified to me that I am where I need to be. So to all you young men and young women reading this I would just say, "Go on a mission."

I finished reading the New Testament just last night and it was a really great feeling to had it read through. Now I am starting the Old Testament in Joshua.Whilst talking with Elder Nolan he noticed something that I have never noticed before. When Jesus Christ was baptised we are not told too much of his experience before the actual ordinance. But the significant part of what is recorded is what happens after the baptism is performed. After coming straightway out of the water, the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove and The Father himself says,"This is my Beloved Son. In whom I am well pleased." It was not until after  that he received a witness that what he had done was correct and was honoured by the Father. 

I feel that we sometimes want to receive the blessings before keeping the commandment or want to know it is right before taking the step of faith onto a roaring ocean floor. If we continue to exercise our faith in Jesus Christ we will not go astray. I would like you all to watch this video and see how it relates to the decisions you want to be guided in from your day to day life.

 https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-09-016-wrong-roads?lang=eng

I know that sometimes we are allowed to go the wrong way so we may quickly learn and change course. Always "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doing and he will direct thee for good." Alma 37:37 

So you youth wondering whether or not to go. GO! You will experience the Holy Ghost testify to you that it is right maybe before you go but definitely after you go to serve. Or you adults stuck on some decision. Or all of you students, you know this applies to you too. Pray, listen, act, listen, repeat. 

This coming Saturday Cecillia is getting bapised! WOO HOOO! She is making us Chinese food this week to celebrate. When she wants to express herself and can't do it in English she gets mad and starts speaking Chinese at us hoping we can understand. We can't. She is fantastic and is really excited. 

Yohanna is doing good and we taught him about missions. He is really considering going on one and says he would like to impact peoples life like we have impacted his. He will be a great friend of mine. 

I will talk to you in a week! Until then keep safe!

Love,

Elder David

Fun With a Friend

So as you all know my companion right now is Elder Nolan and we lived in London North together for 3 months and are now serving together! We have had such a great week! So many great stories and cool miracles.

So I first want to say when you recognize blessing or miracles from the Lord, He gives you more. So I would suggest being grateful in all of your circumstances unless you won't receive those kind of blessings. 

So about 2 weeks ago we met this man named Majid in town. Majid is from Iraq and when we met him he said he wasn't too interested and so we gave him our card with our number on it. Then we parted ways and we forgot about him. Then this last Wednesday we receive a voice mail from Majid saying, "Hello David I would like to meet with you again and come to church. Please call me back so we can arrange a time." We call him up and schedule a time to meet the next day. At that appointment he just asked us what are all the commandments that you live by. So we taught him every commandment and accepted them all. He now is preparing to be baptised. 

On Thursday morning we were in town as well talking to people. While stopping people on the street this woman overheard us and started to approach us to talk. She is English and in her 20's. She believes and God and said she would like to know how she can make more time for God. We agreed to meet the next morning. When we met she explained her side of the story and what had happened the previous day. She told us that she was clear across town and felt that she needed to go to the jewelry shop the shop by which we were standing. She went home after meeting us and told her family and boyfriend of the miracle. She is in Mexico now for 2 weeks but she will text us as soon as she lands. 

We are having a great time and it just keeps getting better. Yeah there are hard days but they are not comparable to the great ones. I love you all and will try to be better at taking pictures. I am really bad at it. 

Love,

Elder David

My Fate!

So the news is that I will be.........................STAYING. I will stay here in Norwich and my companion is leaving to Hyde Park to be the Zone Leader there. My new companion is Elder Nolan!!! You all know him if you read my letters each week. He was in the Flat in London North with me during Christmas time! He is the one in the picture by SoHo Square where we are all leaning on the Telephone Booth! I am so excited and it will be a great 6 weeks. He plays the Guitar so we will definitely be doing some music performing in the Town to find some people to teach!

So we had a good week! Cecilia brought to of her friends to church and they loved it. One was from Angola and the other is from China. Last Thursday we drove down to London for a mission leadership counsel. Let me just say. I hate driving in London. It is the bane of my existence. We sat still for a whole hour and did not move. And people are not nice drivers. Bus drivers drive these massive double Decker buses and the taxi driving zoom in and out of traffic with  no care on who the may hit. Oh and lets not forget the pedestrians who just walk in the road and through traffic. Also the cyclists go so fast in between the cars! I hope you can get the picture. I unfortunately have to go down again tomorrow morning. yay.  

On Sunday we went to a really small village. Like when we went there I felt like back in the early days of the church where they would say,"I walked 17 miles to get here. I see the first door in days and feel prompted to knock on it." But you must say it in a really cheesy scratchy mans voice to make it sound nice. So we were tracting around the area and we knock on the door and out comes an elderly lady from her back garden. "Oh Mormons. I haven't seen you fellas in a long time." She begins her life story on how she used to attend the Mormon church down in Essex 60 years ago. "I loved that church. The friendliest people were always there." I ask, "Are you a member of the Church?" She replies, "No no. I just really enjoyed being there in my youth." We had a lovely conversation and we left her our phone number and a chapter to read in the Book of Mormon. She said she was not interested in coming back but she was glad to meet us. That night we receive a text from an unknown number. It was from the woman. She said, "Thank you for knocking on my door today. I needed that reminder and I will be reading that chapter you gave me. Talk to you soon."  We were literally in the middle of no where and we were definitely there for a purpose. 

Have a great week my friends and family!

Love,

Elder David