"Pure Motives Are The Essence of Divine Guidence"

Ello Mates!

 

Another week in the books! The Missionary Band has been travelling all over England these past two weeks. You could say that "the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." So that is what we have been doing! I am really glad that I switched paths in high school from being all sports to all music. It was honestly quite weird changing from one to the other. I had new friends, new after school activities, new everything! But hey now look what it has led too. I now am able to help others feet the spirit through music. I have a firm testimony that music invites the spirit into our lives. I am greatful as well for the people I have met doing both sport and music. I have gained lifelong friends that I truly do love.

 

 How did it go meeting new people this past week? Did you actually do it? If not, here it is again. Expand your network. Do things that are different and you will find things out about yourself that you may not have known before. That is what happened when I started doing musicals. I did not think I would like it at all but it grew on me. It was an amazing experience and I do not regret it one bit.

 

This week we were teaching this man named Obiola. He is really lazy. We went to see him at 7 at night and he was sleeping. He sleeps literally all day long. Even though he was coming out of a deep sleep we had a really spiritual lesson with him and he committed to come to church with us on Sunday. Sunday morning comes and we get a text from him saying "Hey missionaries. Don't come by this morning to pick me up. I need to sleep. Oh and no need to come back I will just study the Book of Mormon myself. You guys are interferring with my sleep schedule. But thanks for everything." So yeah we don't teach him anymore. Some peoples children. But this past tuesday Elder Mitchell and I were setting up for our wards Ping Pong night. It's intense. And while we were waiting for it to start, a woman and daughter walk into the church. They come up to us and say in broken english, "Hello we are Christains and we want to help the church with cooking an cleaning for free." We were amazed! Huong and Lily are from Vietnam and have moved here recently. Her 8 year old daughter is fluent in English and translates for her mother. We are seeing Huong and her family this coming week! Posh miracle.

 

I have been reflecting on my past decisions. Like for instance what I was talking about earlier. School activities, my future University, my mission, and so forth. I was wondering why I decided to choose one way rather than the other in certains circumstances. My mission president shared this quote with us; "Pure motives are the essence of divine guidence." I realized that with my decisions I always included the Lord in helping me make the right choice. I'd like to think that my motives were pure so that I qualified for the divine guidence. I know that the Lord was directing me in the path in which he has prepared for me and that he does that for all of his children. We are eligible for our Heavenly Fathers guidence as we strive to keep the commandments, pray fervently, and listen with our spiritaul ears. In the scriptures it tells us the the Holy Ghost is neither loud or harsh but rather the still small voice. In 3 Nephi 11:3 it reads;

 "...and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a ^bsmall voice it did ^cpierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn."

The Holy Ghost will guide you in all things in which you should do according to the purity in your motives. Take a moment to think about your motives in your everyday activities. Are they in harmony with our Saviour's teachings? We are able to make changes to realign our lives with the straight and narrow path. What a perfect time of year to do so. With Chrismas fast approching, let us all strengthen our testimony in Jesus Christ. As you do so with your families, you will feel a sweet spirit within the home. A home centered on Jesus Christ, is a home where He can reside.

 

I love you all and hope you enjoy this Christmas season! Have a wonderful week.

 

Love,

Elder David

Some Cool People

While serving here, you meet some very cool people! So I wanted to take this time to introduce you to them!

1. Keenan: There is a man in our ward who has helped make Man of Steel, Harry Potter, Avatar, and so forth. He is a super cool guy and he shows us clips in movies where they always use him as an extra.

2. Herbert West: We recently found out that Mr. West used to be the badest Gangster in London. He is in our ward as well. He lost his leg in war but when he had his leg he stood at 6 feet and 5 inches. He is from Antiga. He now moves his way around London in his wheel chair and people are still affraid of him and his power haha. The other missionaries went to go buy some fruit for him and the men selling the fruit asked who are you buying this for? Soon the missionaries told them it was Herebert. "Herbert West?" The missionaries nodded their head. As soon as they did this the other men went crazy and asked how we knew Herbert. They then told us that 20 years ago he owned the streets and that he was loaded with money. They were shocked. We then asked Herbert at church what that was about and he said "Everyone has a past. Lets not talk about it." Haha Crazy man.

3. Mr. Obi: I met a man 2 weeks ago that owns a international oil company. He was quite wealthy....

4. Mary: Mary is a sweet little Sri Lankan woman from our ward and she revealed to us that her sister is married to the President in Sri Lanka! Her sister is Mormon too.

5. Kurt: One of the Arsenal Coaches. We eat at their house every Sunday night.

6. Mehdi: This man lived in Iran and as he grew up he started to believe in Jesus Christ. That is a big no no in Iran. So he was almost killed. He fled the country in his late teens and is now one of the best cocktail artists in London. He is trying to stop drinking though. The Irony.

7. Henrike: Henrike is going to be a friend of mine even after my mission. She has back packed across America, has learned 4 or more languages including sign language, has like 5 masters degreees, her Dad has been the doctor for the last 2-3 Popes, and she is the nicest and most sincere woman I have ever met. She is from Germany and helps me with my German. She now practices Chinese Medicine and has a job oportunity to be the doctor for the Red Bull Pilots in Austria. She has done it all. She is so amazing.

There are some amazing people in this world! And I have met all of these people by the same method. Opening my mouth. When you open you mouth to talk to people around or just in the que (line) at the grocery store, you will meet some amazing people. Everyone has a story. Everyone has had cool experiences. We are all brothers and sisters so lets get to know one another. This week lets try something. Talk to random people while doing your daily business. I promise you will meet some great people and you will also meet some wacko's too. Wacko's make for good stories. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving this past week. Now let the Christmas festivites commence! Have a great week! I love you all!

Oh and here is me on a rope swing.

Love,

Elder David

 

 

 

 

The "Pee" Miracle

This week we had a really cool miracle!! And yes, we call it the Pee Miracle! So Elder Mitchell and I were going to see a less active man. After we have left this man's home we decided to go "Lost Sheep Finding." Every week we receive names and addresses of people who may or may not live in our ward boundries. So it is our job to go find out. So we call it Lost Sheep Finding. So we find our way to the flat complex and when we get there we look for the piece of paper where it says the exact flat number. Unfortunately we left the paper at home and had no idea what flat the man was supposes to live at. At this point Elder Mitchell has to go to the bathroom (remember there are no toilets anywhere). He is pacing up and down the sidewalk and finally he just shouts, "It is number 6! Just hit 6!" The number did not seem right but I just thought, "what the heck." So I rang flat 6. Then all of the sudden the buzzer rings and the door opens. This never happens. Whenever we ring a flat number they just talk through the intercom and don't let us in. But this time the door opened with no conversation. So we make our way up to flat 6 and knock on the actual door again. This woman answers the door. We introduce our selves and asked if an Owen lived here. She told us that Owen doesn't live here. We then felt a prompting to introduce ourselves again and to talk about how families can be together forever and how God wants us to have strong and healthy families. She became quite intrigued. She told us that she was just bathing her little son and that she has a family that she loves dearly. By the end of our short conversation we set an appointment to come back and share more about the church. We will be going this week to teach her and her family. Even though we did not find the person we were looking for, God placed someone in our path so we could teach them more about the restored gospel. And it is all because Elder Mitchell had to pee. So thank you London for not having any toilets. And thank you Elder Mitchell for having a small bladder.

This morning the Elders in our flat woke up early to go down to Central London early so we see London Bridge and Tower Bridge as the sun came up. After that we went to Canary Wharf and rode bikes around London. In London you do not ride bikes on the sidewalk but on the street. So we found ourselves swerving in and out of traffic in Central London. I felt so dang free!! We biked from London Bridge to South Kensington. That is a lot of biking in London! I will attach some pictures of what we saw! I hope you have a great week and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Eat some turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie in remembrance of me. I love you all!

Love,

Elder David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A random statue that is HUGE

 

 

 

  

 

The Shard     

 

 

The Bullet Building

 

 

 

 

Cool Robot Building

 

 

 

 

 

Things That Annoy Me

Y'alright Mates?

We had another fantastic week! Things are looking up for London North! But by my subject I thought I would talk about funny things that annoy me while on my mission. So sit back and enjoy!

1. Jehovah Witnesses

In London there is quite a big population of Jehovah Witnesses. They are everywhere and they do missionary work just like us. Except people hate them. They knock on peoples doors and instead of inviting people to learn more, they smash people with words trying for force them to believe. They really like to "Bible bash." So people sometimes confuse us because we always go in two's and dress nice. And when they do, that annoys me. 

2. Drunk Homeless People Who Ruin Lessons

When ever we are talking with someone on the street, in a park, or on a bus, it seems like every drunk homeless person in London is attracted to us. They always come and ruin lessons! Satan himself  possess these demon people to make them run away. That annoys me. 

3. Immodest Woman

London is the fashion capital of the world. And the latest fashion seems to have less fabric. Even in winter! To any girl reading this; please dress modest for us men. It holds us to a higher standard. When the weekend comes, the girls here think they must dress in a way that attracts the scum of the street. I really wish that the latest fashion was modest. But because it isn't, that annoys me. 

4. Immodest Drunk Woman

Need I say more. 

5. Marriage and Children in London

This Sunday at church I found out that in many business environments, parents do not mention they have children. They feel like they are ashamed of being a parent! Crazy right?! The Elders Quorum President has a picture on his computer at work of his new born son and when he was alone in the break room another man came up and whispered to him that he has children too. After the conversation the man said not to tell anybody then walked away. It really shocked me. The culture here is weird especially comes to marriage and children. No one gets married. Everyone is just partners. STUPID! Yeah, that annoys me. 

6. Secular England 

People hate talking about God here. We wear a suit everyday and people think we are high up business men... until they see the name tag and all of a sudden we transform to side walk cleaning garbage men. That annoys me. 

7. The Soda

I love Dr. Pepper. I love it. And here Dr. Pepper is rubbish! All the soda's are rubbish. They are really watered down. After a really long day I want to wind down with a nice cold American Dr. Pepper. But they can not be found! That annoys me. 

8. Toilets (restrooms)

So in America there are toilets (restrooms) everywhere. Every shop, restaraunt, and petrol station (gas station) has one. But here it is the opposite! If you want to use the toilet you knock on a random door and ask. I will never do that but that is what some people do. I wish there were more toilets. That annoys me. 

9. Traffic

London is busy. There is always traffic and we have place to go and people to see. Traffic annoys me. 

10. I got nothing else

I love London but with every place has its downs. This email was not serious so do not take it like I am miserable and am annoyed with everything haha. It is quite the opposite.  Here are just a few that I have picked up on. One thing that I am loving though is how London looks during Christmas! Everywhere is being decorated and it is fantastic. I am going to attach some pictures of the things I see day to day during this Christmas season. Have a great week and just try to smile. Attitude changes everything. Make the annoying things turn into funny things. It is possible. 

Oh also this past Saturday, the Hyde Park Stake had culture night!! Since our stake consists of people from over 115 different countries in the world, everyone brought a dish and a booth for their own country. It was so much fun. There were performances from every culture. I loved it! I will attach some pictures of that as well. 

Love,

Elder David

Everyone has their own "balloons."

Hello Mates!

Of course last night was Moves Call Monday! So here is the news on where I will be for Thanksgiving (which isn't a thing here) and Christmas!! I will be in...... LONDON NORTH! STILL! The day after Christmas marks my 6 months of my mission. I have spent the last six months in the same flat and the same area! That is so crazy. I am still going to be with Elder Mitchell and now I will be follow-up training him. I am excited that I do not have to move and meet new people for Christmas but when we found out last night that we were staying, people in the ward started to invite us over for some Christmas fun. I know that that is far out but it will be fun when it comes. 

This past week Elder Mitchell and I have been meeting a lot of fantastic people. All of them, unfortunately, live in a different country. We end up giving them a card with a website or ask for their number and address so that we can give it to the mission where they live. I received this overwhelming feeling that these people are not forgotten. Because this is the Lords work, He makes things happen. Miracles are everywhere and I know that these people that leave will one day learn more and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love being here in England. Especially in London. There is always something going on! November 5th is a big holiday here! It is compared to our 4th of July. They BBQ and blow things up and the city of London lights up the sky with fireworks. Elder Mitchell, Elder Hein, Elder Nolan and I were walking home and we decided to take the scenic route. We went to Alexanders Palace which is a massive pallace that overlooks all of London. We all go there and sit on the steps looking down at London and see fireworks from every direction go off. It was quite magical. I will remember that moment forever. I can not give words to explain how peaceful and fun it was to see that view. 

On Saturday Elder Mitchell and I were about to head to a teaching appointment. We were with one of the young men in the ward and he came along with us. While waiting for the 134 bus I heard this deafening scream. A scream so loud that I had to plug my ears to stop the pain. This noise come from a young boy that was standing behind me. My immediate thoughts were "He must have broken every bone in his body" or "He might have smacked his head on the pavement." As I turned around I saw thing young boys mother cradling him as an effort to comfort him or calm him down. His hand was reaching to the sky. I first thought that was for dramatic effect but I then discovered that he was reaching for something in the sky. This little boy was dying over a balloon. His deafening scream, his hysterical crying and tantrum came from a balloon string that slipped from his tiny fingers. I then thought to myself, "Are you serious? You are crying over a stupid little balloon. A balloon that can be replaced in a minute and a balloon that has no monetary value. Wow. Get over it." I was quite harsh to be honest. But as the crying began to cease and this little boy began to reclaim his breathe, my thoughts changed. I began to ponder from the boys perspective. This boy is out in Muswell Hill with his mother. They stop in a side shop to get some food and on the way out. This mother rewards her son with the balloon he has been eyeing since they sat down to eat. He is delighted. This balloon is his best friend for the day. As the day goes on he begins to test the balloon. Letting it go and catching the string again (like all little boys tend to do). He lets go for one final time and the balloon, that is his best friend, is now gone. His entire day is ruined. His dreams are now crushed and he will not be able to live another second because of the tragic loss he has experienced. As I thought about the situation in this aspect, I felt bad for the boy. I wanted to help him. To restore the happiness he once knew. Even though, to us, losing a balloon is minuscule compared to our life problems. All of us are in different stages of life. I am here in London serving a mission. Some of you are married and have children. Others are at University and a few are mature in years who love watching their grandchildren grow up. We all face different problems. To that boy his problem was huge, to us, small. Your problem may be small to others but it is big to you. No matter what trial you are going through it is tough. It is difficult and is personal. You may think that "no one knows what I am going through. No one understands." This is not true. There is one person who does. Jesus Christ has suffered through every pain, affliction, temptation, and trial that you have and ever will go through. He, alone, knows what you are feeling. He knows how to heal you. He knows what is best for us because he has already passed through them himself. Lean on him. Accept his atonement and repent. As you humble yourselves to do so, your trials may not pass, but you will be able to handle them with more power and strength. The waves of the ocean may not get smaller, but the boat you are sailing on will be bigger. Everyone has their own balloons. "...Mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that that stand in need of comfort..." Mosiah 18:9. The mother in this story stands as a perfect comparison to our Savior. She knows that this pain and suffering is for a short time. She knows that there will be better days but she still decides to hold him in her arms to try to comfort this screaming child. Your may also be that help to comfort those that are in need of help. Act Christlike and reach out to care for someone you love.  If you are the one passing through the trial that is comparable to the boy and his balloon in this story; do not give up nor fall down. But rather stand strong and courageous leaning upon our Savior. Remember His promise, " I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." In the Book of Mormon there is a passage that reads, "... For not withstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts." 

 Have a wonderfully posh week and reach out to someone in need. You both will be blessed for doing so. 

With Love,

Elder David

London

Hello Everyone!

This week has been a great week! We have had some amazing miracles and I am very thankful for these experiences.

About two months ago Elder Hutchins and I were talking to this man and he was super cool to us. We were both waiting for a bus and when our bus came we then said goodbye and left. When we boarded the bus, we looked at each other and were flabbergasted that we did not try to set up an appointment with this man. It just did not feel right at the moment. This last week I have been thinking about that man and have been praying that I would see him again. Then all of a sudden it happened! Elder Mitchell and I were riding a bus we normally never take and while we are on the bus he then boards!! I was so excited and went up to him and asked if he remembered me. He said yes and we then got to talking. We both then got off the bus and exchanged contact information and he said give me a call to set up a time this next week when you can come over to see me and my family!! It was definitely a miracle. I now believe that that man was not ready to receive the gospel two months ago, but now he might be! I love how God answers our prayers. Sometimes in the strangest ways.

It is transfers week and I do not have much time to email but I hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you all next Tuesday with the news of where I will be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Love,

Elder David

Agency. We all have it. Just use it wisely.

Hello Mates!

It has been 4 months since I have been home. It is really amazing how time flies when you are serving the Lord. I really can not believe it. I have had a pretty good week. We have met some really amazing people and are seeing a lot of progress in all our investigators. Our district, which consists of 6 total missionaries, is one of the best districts in the mission and all of us have been out less than 6 months. We are all young but are truly dedicated to this work. I love serving my mission in London. I think this city truly fits me. There is no question that I am a city boy.

This past week we have had some really interesting moments. There has been a common theme when we talk to people on the street. The theme this week or rather the question of the week was, "If there is a god why do so many bad things happen?" Every other person we talked to had this question. Of course this was said by the average atheist trying to test us with our answer. Foolishness I tell you.

I was trying to find in the scriptures an answer to this question. Something simple that I could show to the simple minded. I then came to the scripture in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. It is found in chapter 2 Verse 27. It reads, "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." As it states in the first part of the verse, we are free to choose liberty and eternal life. We are also free to choose captivity and death. WE have the option to choose. When I showed this to our atheist friend, he then began to say, "Well if God is all powerful than why cant he just stop us from choosing?" I then read the verse to him again and asked him "Would we really be free?" He began to understand.

I tell you this story because many people do have this question. We must understand why we are here on this earth. "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to preform their labors." We are here to be tested. We all have our agency to choose these things. Of course there is children who are born in

unfortunate circumstances. You might ask "Where is their fair chance?" But I just ask you that if men were to exercise their agency in righteousness, would this world be different? If men and woman obeyed the commandments of God this world would be a much different world then what it is today. We have the agency to choose. So be the change you want to see in the world. Live in a way that people notice that you are different. That you are a disciple of Christ. If you make a conscience effort to change one thing in your life that is not in harmony with Gods teachings, and correct it in the coming week, then you will see a difference in your life and the lives of people around you. So give it a try.

Last P-day a few of us missionaries went to Harrods. If you do not know what Harrods is, then look it up. Inside there are £68,000 iPhones made out of gold. They used to sell lions, tigers, and bears oh my. And there are incredible cars sold inside. If you needed anything at all you would go to Harrods. ANYTHING. They have authentic Harry Potter Wands!! It is a childhood wonderland. So look it up! I will attach some pictures of what it looks like on the outside and the cars that are parked out in front of the building. And yes one of the cars is made out of velvet...In London there are some very creepy posters that are just weird. So I thought I would share some with you. When you see them all over they start to become ridiculous and just funny. And Last is a picture of my Halloween Package. Austin thought his note was hilarious. That GOOB.

I love you all and hope that you try to use the agency we have been given for good. I know you can do it. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder David