Christmas, Boxing Day, and Moves 2014

Wow! The last week of 2014 is now approaching and it will start off great!! I received the call from President last night on what will be happening for the next six weeks! 

I WILL BE................................GOING!!! I will be going back to London North and be the Zone Leader there with ELDER ADRIANO!!! Crazy huh? We served together exactly one year ago! I was so surprised but I know that it is for a reason that it is happening this way!! I am really happy. 

This last week was amazing! 

On Christmas Eve we were taken to a proper Chinese Restaurant with this woman Elder Hein met on the Street! It was great!

On Christmas morning we woke up early to open our presents and then we left to drive around to pick up all the missionaries and bring them to the chapel for breakfast. We ate breakfast then took a trip around London in the van to tour all the sights with Elder Nolan, Hutchins, Hein, and Torgesen. It was so much fun and we had a blast! Then we went to different members homes to watch Toy Story 3 and Frozen. Frozen was really good and now I could understand why all the little kids sing those songs. They are so catchy!! 

Boxing day: We woke up really early and rode Barcalys bikes through London to get to our destination. Everything in London was half off and so it was just a mad house!!! We spent the whole day just looking around and seeing people go crazy for clothes. 

On Saturday we had MLC all day long and Sunday we had church!! 

Everyone has just been too good to me here and I will miss it but I am only 30 minutes away on the tube. 

Love you all and will send pics next week!! 

Love,

Elder David

MERRY CHRISTMA-RAMA-KWANZAA-KUH

What a life!

So last week we did a lot of fun things!!

On Tuesday we went out to a Porteguese restaruant named Nando's and ate some nice chicken and we thought it would be fun to try the x sauce. No once knows what it is inside because the bottle is black and it has no information on the front. It was the hottest sauce on this whole planet. I decided to pour some into a container and take it home so I could pour it into Elder Hein's Curry. He thought it was hot too. 

On Wednesday we had our Christmas Zone Conference. President Jordan gave the greatest training on the Atonement and my testimony was strengthened. Really we could do nothing if it were not for Jesus Christ. We played games, sang songs, and had a white elephant gift exchange. I gave away our fruit shape cookie cutters :( but I received a giant chocolate Gruffalo. Yum. The night before Zone Conference we were asked to prepare a song. We sang the song "Hallelujah" but with Christmas lyrics. It went really bad. We didn't have enough time to practice to nail the harmonies. Ugh it sounded really bad haha. 

On Thursday night we went to teach Jing and Arjay. Jing is Malou's friend that she brought to church. We show up to her house and she has a feast prepared for us! And Arjay, the 8 year old boy, is dressed in a collared shirt, tie, and a jumper. He told us that his Mum made him because he must respect people of God. We ate some delicious Filipino food and then taught them a lesson. They are planning on getting baptised next month. 

On Friday morning we got a call to go pick up the Brazillian Sisters and to take them to Zone Conference because one of them just broke her leg. We spent the whole morning stuck in London traffic. Then that night the mission choir went to Watford for a performance. I drove Presidents car there with a few other missionaries. 

Saturday night we drove to St. Albans for a Performance as well. 

And Sunday we drove to Canterbury for a Performance. On the way back we had to drop some sisters off in London North so Elder Hein and I got to drive through our old stomping grounds. It was so weird to be back and to talk about stories and experiences we had there. 

Now I promised you all pictures so here ya go!! HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

On the Red Carpet

So today was incredible! During the day our zone went to take a christmas jumper photo in Covent Garden. They are being edited so I will send them next week! We walked around for a a few hours looking in a few shops and exploring London. As we walk up to Leceister Square we see the night of the Museum Premier going on! We were trying to get a good view. There were no celebrities yet so we start to walk down and we hear some security guard say,"Who ever wants to come in and stand on the side of the red carpet for tonight can come line up now. So we all look at each otther and do our nod and start to head in. While we were standing here Elder Hein say's, "Guys I don't think we should be here." We all looked at him with shock and ask him why. He just says I don't know, just don't feel like it is good. And to explain there was no music at this point and it was fairly quite. All I thought a premier  was is when Celebrities just walk down the Red Carpet. So we didn't anything was wrong with it especially since it was Night at the Museum, a movie for children. By this point we were in a lock down meaning as soon as you come in, you can't come out. BAD BAD THING. All of a sudden this dude comes out of the theatre and yells," Let's make this party start!!" We all look at each other with our, "Uh-oh" faces on. Elder Hein is like, "I told you all! I told you all and now we are stuck!" So we start to plan our escape. I yell for the security guard and ask him if we could leave. He was hesitant but the spirit of the Lord descended upon that man and he agreed. So we walked away and dodged a bullet there but almost saw Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Fat Amy. So that is pretty cool I almost saw them right? 

Yesterday we had the Christmas Performance for Hyde Park and it was a great night! In between the songs there were videos played. I hope you all have seen the new piano guys video. If not here is the link  http://goo.gl/7VIJ13

It is such a great video but must be listened to with the volume turned up! 

Yesterday Malou brought three of her friends to church and we are teaching all of them at some point this week! She is the greatest! 

Also here are some cool slang word from New Zealand. When some thing is cool you say, "Sweet as." Or when "Choice."

We baked cookies and cinnamon cake with the Sisters for the ward and yes we did do some of the baking. We used the car to drive through London to deliver these treats while singing Christmas carols. 

It was a good week and we are so close to Christmas time!!! HAPPY CHRISTMAS!! 

Pictures will come next week when I receive them!! 

Christmas is a brewing!

So this week I don't really remember much of what happened. I apologize haha. I will try to find some things to tell you about.

Malou (who got baptised last week) got up and bore her testimony in Sacrament Meeting! It was a definitely a proud moment for my companion and I. Tears may or may not have been shed. 

Today I bought a Christmas Jumper. A jumper is a sweater for all you Americans out there. I have been working on my accent and the English girl in the zone says it is quite nice. So get ready family for Skype in like 3 weeks. 

Tonight we are going to our ward mission leaders house for some dinner. 

Um the new Christmas video is pretty good eh?

We met a man on the street and invited him to be baptised and he accepted. We are seeing him this week. 

London is awesome as always during this time of year. Walking our of Piccadilly Circus, through Regent Street and until you Reach Oxford Street is magical. I wish you all could be here to see it. But my words will have to suffice for now. I am sorry I don't have the most time tonight! I wish I did but things are getting Crazy around here! 

Merry Christmas from ME! 

Love,

Elder David

Monday Again?

What a week!

So as I mentioned last week we were having a mission wide conference with Elder Cook of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and it was such an amazing day! He told us stories of his mission and how much her just enjoyed his experience. He served in this same mission and was companions with Elder Holland at one point while serving in Romford. He shared such sacred things with us and the spirit was so strong. A few of us Elders got to sit front row because we were singing a special musical number called, "Come unto Christ." It is the Youth theme song for 2014. It was a beautiful moment and so many great things were shared. 

After the meeting we had another meeting talking about the new Christmas Initiative the church is starting called,"He is the Gift." We have special pass along cards and are using the video to find people to teach. If you have not seen it here is the link. http://www.mormon.org/christmas

It is beautiful. So share it with your friends. 

On Thursday I had a surprise surgery! It was out of no where! But don't you all worry I am fine. You can ask my mum about it but since this is going up on the internet for all to see I will not go into too much detail. All you need to know is that it hurt. Really bad. The used needles longer than the rulers I had in school and knives that would cut through granite. I may be exaggerating but it was bad. I am so much better now and back to full strength! 

I totally forgot that Thursday was Thansgiving! Well, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! It was probably my most interesting one so far. We had no plans to have a thanksgiving dinner so we were pretty chapped. But out of sympathy, President and Sister Jordan invited us over for a Thanksgiving feast with all the fixings. Thanksgiving at the Jordans on Exhibition road, can you say classy? Haha it was delicious and even though I wasn't feeling too great it helped a lot. Here is my thankful list.

1. My Family. All of you crazies out there in the states.

2.The relationship I have with my Saviour.

3.My Mission

4. Private health care. 

5. A nice cup of Redbush Tea with a Biscuits and assorted cheeses. (Cheese Connoisseur) 

6. A properly ironed white shirt.

7. Music

8. Sister Jordan's Pumpkin Pie 

9. Forgiveness

10. Pretty much everything else. 

On Saturday we had MLC which was great and that night we had the cultural evening! I am not sure if you remember last year that the same thing happened in the Hyde Park Stake. All the people from different Cultures present food dishes and performances and we come together to share with one another. It was a really fun time. 

On Sunday Malou was Baptised! She bore the most powerful testimony ever after her baptism. She has a wonderful story. She was on the bus and some missionary started talking with her. She agreed to meet but for some reason it didn't work out. She meets another missionary on the street and he invites her inside the chapel for a tour of the place and to learn more. She has a lesson and agrees to meet again. She lost contact with the missionaries again. The third time she was on a bus and some member started talking to her and invited her to come to church. She asked, "Which church?" "Oh the church in South Kensington. Across from the science museum." She couldn't believe it and finally agreed to come to church. On Sunday morning the member called to make sure she was coming and Malou gave the excuse that she woke up late and wouldn't be able to make it and so the member said oh don't worry! There is another service at 11 so you have 2 hours to get ready. She thought to herself,"Well great. Now I don't have any excuse for that so I have to come." She came and loved it. We met her after church and set up a time to meet. She was then baptised three weeks later. So the service on Sunday was great! She really loves the gospel and has sent the missionaries to meet with her husband and daughter in the Philippines. So much a come from simple invitations to come learn more. "People are not likely to change, unless you invite them to do so."(PMG).  So go invite someone you know or someone you meet during the day. It makes a big difference. 

It has been a great great week and it will only continue to get better. I have many photos to send to you so be ready! 

Love you all,

Elder David

1. Manson getting baptised last week! 

2. He is The Gift with the Girl who plays Mary in the Bible videos and who is also in "Wicked".3. Elder Cook 

3. Mission Conference

4. The whole mission in front of The Royal Albert Hall

5. Malou and I

6. Malou's Baptism! 

7. Tonight we happened to walk right past the where the World Premier of the Hobbit was happening!!

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA