The Book of Mormon is True

This past week we had Zone conference. By far the best one I have attended. I was asked to conduct again. I wasn't as nervous to do it this time which was nice to save some stress. President Jordan gave a training on Evidences of the Book of Mormon. It was really cool to listen too. As a closing quote he  read this, “All the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, will remain in the realm of faith.”  Elder Maxwell taught this vital principle. I love hearing about the cool historical facts and how it was brought forth and what not but it is even great to have a spiritual witness of it's truthfulness. The Book of Mormon is true. "No evil man could write such a book and no good man would, unless he were called by God to do so." So get reading your Book of Mormon. It is powerful and has so much to offer to our lives. 

In Zone Conference a few of us performed a song that was to the tune "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. It was a hit. It was talking about baptism instead haha. Sister Jordan is going to record it tomorrow and I think then it will be on sound cloud. I will keep you posted on it! 

This week there were so many baptisms in the Zone! I am really proud of the missionaries. There was a very special moment on Saturday Evening. A Brazilian couple got married 2 days prior to getting baptised. The wife was baptised first and she stood watching her new husband being baptised as well. As he came out of the water she gave him a big hug and kiss with tears streaming from her eyes. What an amazing way to start off a marriage. Families can be together forever1

Earlier in the week we taught this woman who is quite posh. She seemed to have it all and during the lesson she began to just ball. We were shocked and we sat there and both said nothing for what felt like 10 minutes. We let her think and think and think. I have never been in such a intense moment in my mission. The spirit was so strong and I could tell it was trying to speak to her but out of the silence came, " I don't think I want't to take this any further. I can't take this any further." She needed the gospel so bad in her life but made the choice not to accept in that spiritually heavy moment. Her whole life she was brought up in a family that heavily didn't believe in a God. She has been relying upon her own strength her whole life and came to the breaking point of exhaustion. We invited her to lean on the Savior and to give us a call anytime. Money does not bring happiness. Only the gospel will enlighten your life with understanding and give you the strength to fight through this already tough battle we call life. 

On Friday we taught Peter. Peter is a new investigator we found on the street. He works for the Underground. He had so many questions about religion and after we finished the lesson he told us that a lot of his questions had been answered. He accepted a baptismal date for this coming October and we will begin to hopefully start teaching his girlfriend this coming week. Family!  

This coming week will be a good one and I cant wait to tell you all about moves calls next Tuesday!! Am I staying or going? Cast your votes. 

Elder David

Seeing Others Succeed

While sitting in Sacrament meeting this Sunday with none of our investigators there really stunk. We had a few who definitely were coming and for one reason or another none of them showed. Sacrament was quite, no babies were screaming and it was just me and my thoughts. I sat there and looked around the room and saw the sisters who are in our ward as well will some of there investigators at church and how happy they looked and seeing this it just brightened my day. As we walked into the chapel that morning I saw the other Elders in our zone with a smile on there face as they take one of their friends into church. I again began to smile. The day before, our zone had 2 baptisms and they were beautiful services. I interviewed one of the candidates and as we finished the interview he told me that in a year he will be a missionary too. It was such a sweet moment. He is from Romania and does not speak much English but has felt the spirit so strongly. All of these thoughts came flowing into my mind as sitting in the silence of Sacrament meeting.  I automatically then began to feel better. I was at peace knowing Elder Jensen and I did all that we could and we are able to see our zone flourish. After sacrament meeting we were going to gospel principles and to our surprise we find a new face inside of the class. A member brought her to church and asked us to teach her after church. We sit down after church and have a great lesson and she is now preparing to be baptised on the 18th of October.

This experience reminded me of the last time I was serving in Hyde Park when another missionary was telling me that they met someone so wonderful and I was truly excited for them. Not envious or wishing I could take the success they were experiencing. And an hour later that missionary comes back to tell Elder Adriano and I that they actually live in our ward boundary. it happened to be the day that we were fasting for people to teach. 

I truly believe that the Lord gives others success to test us on how we will react. I believe the Lord rewards those who are not envious of what others have. I know this to be a true principle. So whenever you see someone who you think is doing better than you, think positive because then the Lord will deliver the same unto you. 

So I found this really nice Cologne in the flat. It is dangerous how good it smells. So all the guys in the flat were so upset that I found it and were wishing it was theirs. So later that week we go in to a Boots. Which is kind of like a Wallgreens. And Elder Jensen see's my cologne in the shop and calls me over to come see. It is a polo cologne stored a pink bottle with a green horse on the outside. We then realize we are standing in the women's section...... They won't let me live it down. I continue to wear it. Smells too nice. Elder Jensen then was test driving some mens cologne and turned the nozzle the wrong way and accidentally sprayed it directly into my mouth. Cologne does not taste as good as it smells. 

On Saturday we received a referral from the Hawaii Visitors Centre and were on our way to contact this woman. We find our selves right next to Fulham Football (Soccer) Stadium while they are playing one of their matches. It was hectic. The English love their football. We knock on the door of the address that was given. As the door was opened the man standing inside looked excited to see us. He said, "You are the Mormons. My daughter is in Hawaii and told us that your friends there are so nice. Come on in. Can I make you some herbal tea?" I was shocked. I have never been let into a home before on my whole mission from knocking a door. This was the first. Not only a home but a really really nice home. This man excuses himself because he already has a guest but leaves us to talk with his wife. We sit down and are talking over a cup of elder flower and raspberry herbal tea while hearing the roar of the football stadium just minutes away. I felt quite English at this moment. We had a wonderful discussion and are meeting with them again this coming week! Good times. 

That is all folks. Have a great week and no more being envious! Who knows, maybe the person you are envying is wearing women's cologne. 

 

 

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA

Who Stole My Milk?

My Milk was stolen!! This week our landlord came to replace our fridge because it would not keep shut so everything was freezing. So he comes over with this gut to fit the fridge into the space and make sure that everything works properly. Him and his friends took everything out of the fridge and put it on the counter. They were in the process of putting in the fridge and we had to leave to go to an appointment at the chapel. Upon the return that evening we see our brand new beautiful fridge in place and open to find that one the guy stole my milk! I was not happy with this. He also took Elder Tam's chicken. We found a small plate in the sink with chicken crumbs upon the surface! That man cooked in our flat, ate our chicken, drank my milk, and then just left! Rude. No cereal for breakfast was the consequence of his actions. 

This week was pretty good! We met some amazing people. Amanda, Jessica, and Busta are the people that stuck out to me in my mind. Amanda is a woman I met about a month ago and I have been trying to call her for a long time to schudule a time to meet up again. Finally this week I get back in contact with her and we set a time to meet. Before we even started to teach her, she recited the whole of the restoration with out the Joseph Smith part. She told us that she really believes in God but feels like where ever she goes that there is something missing. She knows that one of them have to be right but can not tell which that is. Elder Jensen and I both had some big smiles when she was telling us all of this. We then teach her the full restoration and she has now excepted to be baptised in October. Her daughter, Jessica, is now learning with her and she is 8 years old. At the end of the lesson I love to ask, "So what made you agree to meet with us again?" She replied,"I honestly felt something when talking to you on the street that one day. I felt calm and heard something tell me that I need to listen." 

Busta is next. We were going to visit some members in Shepherds Bush that the ward has not seen in a while. We were having no luck but after we were about to walk away from the door to move on we see this man that sits down close to the home on a brick bench. He is from Jamaica and has dreadlocks that go past his knees if he lets it out of his net hat. I don't know what the hat is called. But we approach him and start a great conversation. He again was teaching us about the great apostasy and Jesus Christ and Prophets without knowing that is exactly what we believe. We then begin to teach him about the restoration and after he had this different spirit about him. He then agreed to meet and we will be seeing him this coming Wednesday. Again at the end we ask, "So what made you stop to listen to us?" His response, "Well I saw you two from a distance when I walked out of work and I felt like I needed to talk to you for some reason. I could have chosen to sit down the road at a much comfier bench but I sat here in hope you would talk to me." We were speechless. 

These two experiences really made me ponder. I don't feel any different from when I was at home. I don't feel like there is this great change in me or my spirituality. I feel the same. Maybe there has been change and I am just in the 1st person view and cant notice it and I hope there has been change but I am still Talan.  I know that it is not me that will make anyone believe in what I am teaching but it is only the Spirit. The Spirit leaves that lasting mark on ones heart to make them sit on a rough bench near us or to whisper into a woman's ear to tell her that she needs to listen. The Spirit is THE teacher and is the only way that someone can know if this is really true. Knowledge is great and is needed so that the Holy Ghost can enlighten your mind but knowledge alone will not get you a testimony of this great and important gospel. It takes faith inspired action so the the Holy Ghost can get INTO your heart instead of just UNTO your heart. 

Elder Jensen have hid the pavement hard this week and were able to see the fruits of our labors. I promise that the Lord rewards those who work for their blessings. I have seen it this week. 

Things are going good and I am having fun. The first photo will explain the kind of companionship we have. Too much fun. But Moses also is doing good and was confirmed a member yesterday in church.  And some other pictures as well. Love you all!

Elder David

1. Legs

2. Moses with his Michael Jackson shoes

3. Moses in his whites

4. Meetings

5. Mind the Gap cuff links

                                                     Hyde Park Zone! September 2014

 

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA

 

 

 

 

Forest Gumping London

This Morning was pretty cool. We woke up a bit early this morning to go on a nice little jog through London! We ran from Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace. Then we ran to Big Ben and The Eye. From there we ran along the Thames all the way until London Bridge. There was a few of us that went so it ended up being a lot of fun!!

Last week a lot happened! A little different from the previous one. On Monday one of the members invited for dinner and we asked if we could bring Moses. It was a really great night. 

Tuesday we had Zone Training Meeting. That is my favourite because we get to prepare it all. I really like being in charge of that stuff. We talked a lot about helping others recognize that they are repenting. We also talked never slowing down. Since we do a lot of the same things everyday, there is a tendency to slow down and so we talked about pushing through. Elder Holland said, "Start fast, run hard, you can rest later." I like that quote. 

We will skip to Saturday now because Wednesday-Friday was just straight missionary work. We talked to a lot of different people this week. So on Saturday we were really excited because we had many appointments for the day. Everyone had confirmed the night before so we thought that it would all be fine. Nope. So each hour someone had cancelled on us and asked to reschedule. This literally happened the whole day. So we now had time to go talk to people on the street. Only two people stopped to talk the whole day. No one wanted to hear what we had to say. We were not really getting down but could not believe that it was happening. We had members lined up to come teaching with us but no one at the end of the day turned out. We had Sister Aida with us who is from the Phillipines to come visit an investigator. He was not there and we felt so bad because she came a long way after work to come with us. This didn't even phase her. She said, "Well I am here so might as well do something." We then went to visit other members in the ward (none of which were home) so then picked more people to visit. Haha no one was around on the saturday evening. So after a long night, Aida then took us out to chinese buffet. We felt bad becuase there was no success found but it was a happy ending. 

Sunday was the best thought because it was Moses baptism!! It was an amazing experience. After his baptism he bore his testimony and it was powerful. Things are going good. 

I will attach some photos because I know those are the best part!! Unfortunately this computor is not letting upload the photos!! So next week will be all photos because there are a few!! 

I hope you have a great week and will talk with you soon.

Elder David

Short Short Week

This last week not too much has happened. My new companion is awesome though and I am so excited for this transfer. There is just too much in common!

So Moses is doing great and will be baptised this coming Sunday! He came to church and enjoyed it a lot!

We had MLC last week which was pretty cool. We watched a funny missionary exercise video.

On Saturday the ward had an activity and we played cricket. Cricket is really a fun sport to play and it really similar to baseball. Except when you hit the ball you are not supposed to drop the bat. That was really hard for me to remember. I re lived the glory days with a diving catch. It felt so great being able to play a sport that involves a ball and bat. After the Cricket Match we went to a members home and had a BBQ.

I promise I will have more to write this next week but really this week was taken up by meeting and switching companions. Tomorrow we have Zone Training Meeting and some missionaries are making Portuguese food! It will be a good time! Well that is about it for this week! Talk to you soon!

Love,

Elder David