Fruit Shaped Cookies to Put in Our Flower Jar

This week we helped one of the members in the ward move out of there house. They are luckily still in the ward boundaries. They took us to a Lebanese Restaurant for helping. YUM! While helping them move they found some things that they have never taken out of the package but knew they were never going to use. "If it is free get it at all costs." So we gladly took some things home. 

1. The Worlds Sharpest Knife (Actual name of the knife). The name of the Knife made me want to burst through a set of doors and yell, "CONGRATULATIONS! The worlds sharpest knife!! (ELF)

2. Fruit Shaped Cookie Cutters. It is obvious why one would want these. 

3. A florescent yellow jar with oddly colored flowers. For our fruit cookies.  

It was a successful afternoon. 

President Jordan was in Portugal last week for the annual Mission President's Seminar. He had his birthday while being there and was going to arrive on Friday evening! So we planned a surprise party for him when he would come home! We decorated his flat and baked some goods for him (when I say "we" I mean the Sisters in the Zone. The Elders did not do much.) We all hid and turned off the lights yelled a big, "Surprise!" He was really surprised haha. He walked in with another area 70 who was also surprised. Sister Jordan loved it and was in on it as well. We had cake and sang songs. 

By the way, I don't know if I told you this but I live with Elder Hein again. The Elder that was in the same flat with me in London North for 6 months! We have way to much fun. So on Friday Elder Hein was making a homemade pasta sauce and it smelt quite nice. But I thought it need a bit more spice. The week prior, I bought some scotch bonnet peppers so that I could somehow put them in Elder Hein's food. So this was the opportunity to use them. I took the peppers into the room and cut them into really small pieces then took them to the kitchen while cupping them in my hands. When he wasn't looking I threw in the peppers to his sauce and out of generosity, I offered to stir the sauce for him. I couldn't hold in my laughter so I had to leave the room and just wait. Elder Hein treats his companion, Elder Hansen, and himself to his nice pasta. They begin to feast. Half way through their meal I walk into the room and they are both sweating and drinking so much water wondering, "Why is this pasta so hot?!?!" Elder Hansen then exclaims in his thick German accent, "Every single bite gets hotter and hotter!!" I told them they shouldn't have used so much ground pepper. They agreed to that. I left the room and then about a minuter later I hear, "ELDER DAVID!" Elder Hein comes running into the room laughing/crying/sweating with his accusations pointed right at me! Of course his accusations were all true. We all died laughing. I made a good decision to buy those peppers. Good times. 

Elder Hein got me back the next morning by tying my basketball shoes together. And let me tell you, untying basketball shoes at 6 in the morning is a challenge that deserves to be on any game show. 

We had stake conference this weekend and it was so great! We participated in the YSA choir and it was really fun. Another 70 was present for to preside over the meeting. 

So on Friday afternoon Elder Torgesen and I got on the bus and sat down in different places to talk to different people. While being on the bus for 10 minutes a man gets on the bus and sits near me. He then looks me in the eye and points to my badge asking, "What is that about?" I thought he was being smart with me so I gave a short response. I am a missionary for this church. He then become more interested. I then realized he was genuinly interested. I then showed him the Book of Mormon and said, "We would like to teach you about this. Can we see you tomorrow?" He agreed and then after exchanging info, he got off the bus for his stop. We saw this man on Saturday and invited him to be baptised next month. He accepted and came to church the following day on Sunday. He loved it and we will be seeing him tomorrow! We asked him on Saturday why he decided to talk to me and he said,"I usually never sit on the bus. I always stand but I felt like I needed to sit and I saw you and felt I should sit next to you. Then I saw Jesus Christ on you badge and knew why I needed to sit next to you." Jeff is his name. After Jeff left church he went to go tell his wife how wonderful the people were and how he loved his experience. We will hopefully teach her this week as well. MIRACLES! 

Sunday! Last Story. We had a fireside in Luton to perform at for the Young Men and Young Women. We loaded up the mission van. Elders Hein, Tan, Torres, Adriano with President and Sister Jordan were all in the Van with me driving. So driving a massive van in London is the worst and is really scary. The roads are just not meant for big cars. But with many prayers offered in my heart we made it safely. We had a great night and met Elder Nolan and Elder Hutchins at the chapel. It was just like the good ol times last year doing the same thing. It was just a great evening! 

Good things are happening and I love my mission!

Have a great week and I will talk to you in 7 days.

Love,

Elder David

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA

Pumkins!

Good evening for me and good morning for you! 

Last week we had Elder Herbertson of the 70 come visit the mission for a conference. A few Elders were assigned to do a musical number so we chose to do a song called Jerusalem. It is an English song that says Jesus walked in England when he was on the earth. We don't know how factual that is but it is a nice song! We were practicing before the meeting started and as we finished we walked down to finish set up all. Just before the meeting started and everyone was about to take their seats President walks to me and says, "Elder David you will be conducting this meeting." Go get ready in the front." I took my seat next to Elder Herbertson and we began to talk for a few minutes before the meeting began. I was pretty nervous for this one because I didn't want to mess up with a 70 present. I prayed that everything would go well and it turned out alright. It was a really great time. 

So while at church on Sunday there was a quote shared that I really liked. "A man sees in the world, what is in his heart."  It made me think, "What is in my heart and how does that impact my outlook? Does it effect me in a positive or negative way?" It really made me evaluate myself and examine what I saw in the world. Some see all the nice clothes that someone else has on, the car they show up in at work, or how their family life looks from the outside. What we desire in the world is usually what we already desire in our heart. The way we look at people and how we perceive them comes from the heart. 

In the scriptures they prophesy that "in the last days, mens hearts shall fail them." From what I learned on Sunday it all made sense. The scriptures didn't imply there will be more people with heart failure as a medical condition but as a spiritual condition. What are our hearts set upon? "Where you heart lies, there will your treasure be also." 

The only way that we can cleanse our heart and truly have a "heart transplant" is throught the Saviour Jesus Christ and his Atonement. Healing is found there and how wonderful it is to experience it for ourselves. "Come unto Christ and be perfected in him." "Nothing entereth into His rest save it be those who have washed their garments in the blood of Christ." The Saviour can cleanse our heart and help us see in the world the positve things that come fomr our heart. "Remember faith, hope, charity, and love..." These are the traits we want to have. Eternal traits. 

As you study the Saviours life you will be more aware on how He would act in your circumstances. There is your assingment. 

Today we had a Zone P-Day! Woo Hoo! We carved pumpkins together. Really fun day. We also sang a few songs.  

I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

(I carved the HYDE one)

Elder David

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA

The Band is Back

The Band Started up again to start practicing for Christmas coming up. It was so great to have everyone back. The same group that was there last year minus a select few who have returned home. So weird. It brought back to many great memories. My favourite song is Some Children See Him. I love that song so much! I feel like my music skills have improved since being on a mission. Which logically does not make sense but I see it as a blessing. This last week was really busy with Moves and making sure everyone got settled in. We had a baptism on Sunday for our investigator Joseph! He is such a sweet man and will be getting the priesthood in the coming weeks. He has read all the way to Alma in the Book of Mormon and retells it like he has been reading his whole life. Impressive. 

This coming week we have a mission conference with a seventy who will be coming! It will be on Thursday and I am really excited about it! Halloween is coming up and inside the Hyde Park Chapel there will be the classic Phantom of the Opera silent film with the massive Organ accompanying it! So many good things are happening here. 

I am enjoying my new companion and he is really laid back. We get on well. I have gotten the hang of changing from companion to companion and I think I found the key to success. COMMUNICATION! When you talk more the better things go. It is so simple but now I know it is a true principle. It is sometimes not the best to hide what you are feeling and not express it. But when you council and just talk openly things work out. So my advice to you is communicate. Life just is better when you do. Whether that is with a husband/wife, brother/sister, or even a co-worker, talk it out. 

Love you all and talk to you in 168 hours!

Elder David

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA

Moves Calls Night

Hello Everyone!! So I know you all are waiting in suspense to hear the results of what is happening next..... IIIIIIIIIII AAMMM STAYING! I will be staying in Hyde Park but Elder Jensen is unfortunately leaving. I am really sad about this but he will do well in St. Albans as the Zone Leader there. My new companion is Elder Torgensen. I don't know anything about his but this is his first transfer as being a Zone Leader. We have good things happening so I feel like it will be a good 6 weeks.

I have seen throughout my mission that as soon as you get comfortable the Lord puts your life in the shaker you use to play Boggle. A two year mission, I believe, ends at 2 years because that is when you feel comfortable with what you are doing and you feel you have figured it out. Elder Jensen and I were doing really well and just got on. Hence why we are now separated and moving on.

This is my 5th straight transfer in a row with a different companion! I am scaring them away!! Change is starting to be my sir name. So maybe this one will break that streak!! Who knows. 

Conference was pretty great. I don't know if it is the same for you but I feel like conference is like watching a national championship game..... Yep I am a missionary. Please excuse my weirdness when I come home haha. But the talks were great and as always you could sense the themes that were given. These are the themes that stuck out to me.

1. Developing your own testimony 

2. The Law of The Fast and Fast Offerings

3. Following and Sustaining the Prophet

4. The Sacrament

It was a great conference. We had a few of our investigators come and they really enjoyed it as well! This last week we had many meetings. 1 every single day so not to much to report back to you on. Moses is doing well and has received the priesthood now! It was good to see that. Also at General Conference there were so many members who were from the London North Ward that I got to see. I saw Lawrence again (the man I met at the bus stop a year ago) and he is still strong in the church. So good to see. I love this work!! 

Listen to Elder Bednar's talk on Missionary Work again! I loved it. Pay attention on how he describes how the members and missionaries work together. Go share this awesome gospel. We don't do it out of obligation. We share it because we want others to feel the happiness we have experienced in our lives. I love you all and will share more next week. Today we will go cite seeing so I will attach the pictures next week!!

Elder Talan Haynes David

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London, England SW7 2PA

 

Surprise

 Actually I do have some pictures to send....

1. Christmas lights are already being put up in London. This is what happens when you don't have a good Halloween and when you don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Skip right to Christmas.

2. Most delicious Chinese food in South K. Chopstix

3. 2 Sisters will be going home tomorrow so we help a funeral for them after Zone Meeting. Peace be upon them.