this week was crazy busy and so I don't feel like i have done proper missionary work in like a week, because Monday was pday and we had district pday in Worcester  with everyone and they we got the transfer call that night and my companion got told he was going to Wolverhampton in Birmingham so on Tuesday it was his packing day and saying good bye. I just cleaned the flat after him because i didn't want my greeny coming into a messy flat so that was Tuesday, Wednesday we went up to Birmingham to pick up elder Decker he is from the Netherlands and luckily for him he loves to bike, but that took up all of our Wednesday in travel getting there and back we got home at about 7.40 at night. Thursday we needed to get bikes and a rail card figured out for him then we finally got to do some missionary work later that day though. and we stopped by and got to see almost everyone then on Friday we had zone conference in Cheltenham and that was a killer on the pocket that's why we got him the rail card the day before because a rail card drops the price by a third so it's not to bad of a price. and that took our whole day we had to be there at 10 for choir practice and then it finished at 3 and it takes 45 min to walk to the train station and our train back was at 3.30 so we didn't make it and so elder Decker did all the ipad stuff that had to be done before he could use it. We had about 2 hours as our next train back was not for two hours so we got that all done and got home at about 7.40 again. then Saturday we went a picked up elder Decker's bike that he bought because they still had to put it together a bit so we got that and then the work could really begin and it was great we went out to a small village out by some members because they had done a pamphlet drop for us out there and so when they do that we follow up on the next Saturday and tract the street and talk to people about the pamphlet and this one also had and invitation to our carol service that is on Christmas eve. Even if they weren't interested in learning more a lot still said they would come to the carol service.oh but earlier that day on the way back from getting elder D's bike he had his first wreck so now that is over and done with so ya it was funny and he is okay, oh and in the way of bike I bought a new used one this week from another elder you know how I told you that it would probably cost about 50 pounds to get the one I had fixed another missionary sold me his way nicer bike for 50£ instead and it is way nicer than the one I was going to fix, so we are all good on bikes now. so after we did the trackting thing we went over to that members house to have dinner then they dropped us off at our next appointment and from there we walked home and it was good. Sunday was mostly church and coordination meeting and then because I am training we have an extra hour of comp study every day and all the other stuff that come with being a trainer. luckily for me he is from the Netherlands  and one of his parents is Australian and so he speaks perfect English so no language study.

well I think that is it for this week. 

Elder Poll

Training

So this week has been really good we had a really amazing experience with meeting with a less active member and he told us to come back on Saturday and teach his girl friend that she was interested. so that was cool. Tuesday we had district meeting and president came and he did the meeting and it was so cool to be there with him, he also covered safety rules in regards to the Paris attack because I don't know if you have seen the news but there have been threats against Britain I guess.This is what has been told us by some members so he just went through all that stuff with us. We also talked about the new Christmas video also. Wednesday was we saw mark and we also did a lot of stop by. We found out that the river had flooded and we had to go through it well not the river but through the part where it flooded and I got soaked up to my knees and so we turned back and I put on dry trousers and shoes and then we went around that part to get to were we were going. We went to youth night and  helped put together boxes for a charity that ships needed supplies to Africa and that was fun and I got all taped up. Thursday we had a lesson with two older ladies and then we did some stop bys and made cookies for our investigators. Friday we had to cross the water again because we were running really late luckily the water had gone down quite a bit but we still got really wet but it was worth it we had a couple of really great lessons that night. Saturday was really the amazing part of the day followed by a depressing part.

As came out of an amazing lesson to go home our bike were gone and so we had to walk home SOMEONE STOLE OUR BIKES not just mine but elder Bogaerts also so we currently have no bikes right now and so things have been a bit ruff on Sunday we had to be to a meeting at 9.15 for PEC and so we left our flat at 8 and just made it in time for the meeting so needless to say our mobility is severely disabled right now. but good news that is pretty cool wait for it .......wait for it..... I AM TRAINING THIS COMING TRANSFER that's why I have a really early meeting tomorrow. so ya this week is going to be good I think buy also really busy and next week is going top be really hectic even more but should be fun. love you guys don't have to much fun with out me.
Elder Poll

Catching Up

Nov 23

This week has been really good here but also really cold.I found out this week very quickly that I lost my gloves some where in transit from Cwmbran to Hereford because I can't find them, so for a few days I was wrapping g my hand In my scarf and putting that one in the handlebars of my bike to drive and the other one in my pocket. But as for missionary work we have been quite blessed when I got here
there were only two investigators and this week we have doubled that and to be honest it had to be the spirit because literally we didn't do anything to find them they came to us. One we met her while visiting a less active and we were having a nice chat with her and she is just one of this elderly women and a friend of hers just walked in and started talking with us and we talked about the plan of salvation and it went really well.
The other two were kind of planned but kind of not. A part member family here previously the wife and daughter weren't interested at all and would say hi and go in the other room but now they have started to
ask questions so we had a lesson with them so that was awesome. And we had an amazing lesson last night with A we just had a heart to heart about expectations and where things are going from here and that
was really good.We also had zone meeting this week and it was good but t we are one of the teams on the edge of the zone and so it takes us 2 hours to get to the meeting and the meeting only lasts 2 hours and then it's 2 hours back so it takes the whole day. But there is nothing we can really do about that we have to
be at the meeting so such is life. And this week we helped a family clear all the rubbish from there front garden because they just moved in to the house and the last owners left it a mess. So ya we had a pretty great week.
And this week should be pretty good as well.

Love Elder Poll

Nov30

For us this week has been a bit busy and slow. because of travel to get to a from places it is pretty lame because it takes us ages to get anywhere. but I did have a great experience this week. I got to go back to Worcester on exchange and I got to see A. we talked for ages we had games night that night as well it was kind of sad to see though because when I was in Worcester the games nights we had a turn out of 15 or so but now they are getting less than 8 out and that's counting the missionaries but it was nice for me mostly just because A was there, and he walked back with us from the chapel to our flat after so all in all we talked for about three hours just getting updated on what been going on. I also got to see quite few of the members while I was there I got to see the Nolans.

On the weekend it was stake conference in Cheltenham and it is really far away from here it is about a 1 to 2 hour drive and that was while I was in the car with a member and he was going about 80 the whole way there and it still took us ages. and because that members from here don't really go to the stake meetings unless they have to so the adult session on Saturday night did not many from our ward that went to that one and because it is so far away we didn't get back till 10.30. The conference was good and a member of the seventy came and spoke and it was funny because I knew him it was the same one that spoke and my first zone conference about a year and 2 months ago but it was funny because he knew my companion and so he called on him to come us and bear his testimony right in the middle of the general session of the conference. On Thursday we had district meeting and for lunch we had thanksgiving and it was funny because it was just missionaries all under 23 at the table and the sisters did all the cooking but us elders did all the washing up. and we also had the zone leaders there. So 10 of us and 5 of them were not American it was half and half but we all enjoyed it and the food was great. they even made the yams with the marshmallows. on Tuesday we went by some less actives and it was cool because one of them was really awesome and wants to start coming back to church. We met up with him today and went bowling and got to know each other better. it was cool. 

On Friday we had flat inspection and we did good she said we had the nicest freezer she had seen so far.  Hope you all well and have a great week talk to you next week.

Love you 

Elder Poll

Dec 7

So this week has been really good we had a really amazing experience with meeting with a less active member and he told us to come back on Saturday and teach his girl friend that she was interested. so that was cool. On Tuesday we had district meeting and president came and he did the meeting and it was so cool to be there with him and he also covered while he was the the safety rule in regards to the Paras attack because I don't know if you have seen the news but there have been threats against Britain I guess is what has been told us by some members so he just went through all that stuff with us. and we also talked about the new Christmas video also. Wednesday was when we saw mark and we also did a lot of stop bys. We found out that the river had flooded and we had to go through it, well not the river but through the part where it flooded and I got soaked up to my knees and so we turned back and I put on dry trousers and shoes and then we went around that part to get to were we were going. Then we went with the youth that night and  helped put together boxes for as charity that ships needed supplies to Africa and that was fun and I got all taped up. Thursday we had a lesson with two older ladies and then we did some stop bys and made cookies for our investigators after dinner. Friday we had to cross the water again because we were running really late luckily it had gone down quite a bit but we still got really wet but it was worth it because we had a couple of really great lessons. Saturday was really amazing part of the day followed by a depressing part. We came out of and amazing lesson with M 's girl friend and and it went really well and then we went out to go home and do our weekly planning and our bikes were gone and so we had to walk home... SOME ONE STOLE OUR BIKES not just mine but elder Bogaerts also. and so we currently have no bikes right now and so things have been a bit ruff. Sunday we had to be to a meeting at 9.15 for PEC and so we left our flat at 8 and just made it in time for the meeting so needless to say our mobility is severely disabled right now. but good news that is pretty cool wait for it .......wait for it..... I AM TRAINING THIS COMING TRANSFER that's why I have a really early meeting tomorrow. so ya this week is going to be good I think but also really busy and next week is going to be really hectic but should be fun. Love you guys.

Elder Poll

Moving to Hereford

So this week has been different than I think I have had before on my mission, I have spent more time out of my new area than I have spent in it. Wednesday we had transfers and we didn't get back from them to Hereford till 8 pm and then on Thursday we had district meeting which was fun because Hereford is in Worcesters district so I got to see my old area but I only got to see a few members then. Friday we had to be in Cheltenham and we went on swaps with the zone leaders there, it was fun because elder Lindquist and Palu were both in the MTC with me. Because a sleep over night is not a common thing in our mission no one has any extra blankets or beds or anything like that so we slept on the ground with no blankets. all I had was a sheet and a towel to keep me warm lucky we just turned up the heat a bit more. Saturday we woke up at about 5 and had to be on the coach by 6.15 and then we had the conference till 12.30 then about a 2 hour travel back.

The conference was amazing and rebuking elder Ballard told us to wake up and stop being robot missionaries, we do the work but we need to get the spirit more with us, he said that just like Brigham Young said that we shouldn't do anything till we get the spirit but. that once we get the spirit we can do anything.

Sunday I got to meet the ward and I found that I already knew a few of the from the time I spent in Worcester and then brother Stobbs the member I actually spent Christmas with last year is the stake young mens president and he was in Hereford with the young mens here so I got to see him. and also brother Stones moved from Worcester to Hereford so he  is in my ward again. and a few I met from stake things. The ward here is really good especially in feeding the missionaries I think we have a dinner appointment almost every night. so things are good here so far.

We did have an interesting experience last night a super less active member texted us and asked if we were free and we said yes and he wanted to meet us in town but man town was really busy because they were doing the presentation and carnival to kick off turning on the city Christmas lights. When we got there he told us that he was part of the freedom church now and he was deeply in it and invited us to come to there open house that night and so we talked a bit with him and we were walking and then we were at his church and so he invited us in and gave us a tour and it is a born again church and they do live video productions also.  Then we had to go to visit some families and it was probably for the best because the band was just starting up and so we left and it was just interesting to see what other people think church is. 

Earlier before transfers this week we had an amazing lesson with J and I am pretty sure she is going to get baptized soon. the other funny thing about Hereford is that it in next to Cwmbran and next to Worcester so now I have covered an entire big strip of the country as a missionary. but also it was funny because the only way to get to Hereford by train is to go through either Cwmbran and Newport where I just was or to go through Worcester and in the last 5 days I have had to go through both so the only one of my area I have not seen in the last week has been Burton. I also realized how much stuff I have when i was transferring my bags were so heavy. i think i broke the wheels on one of them. 

One thing I did find out this week was that transfers are right before Christmas so I am pretty sure that i am staying here but no promises. 

Love and Prayers

Elder Poll

November 9th

So to start let me explain how wet it was this week and how I felt like my feet never got dry. We weren't even on bike we were on buses. and just so you know an umbrella is just about useless in this country because the rain doesn't just come from above or just one direction it come from everywhere.

Other than that our week was good... not as good as we were hoping but it was good. A lot of our investigators weren't able to meet with us this week for various reasons but we were still able to get on some of our less actives to church so that was good. 

We were able to still meet with a few of our investigators which is good because this week is going to be hectic We have transfers this week no guaranties that I am leaving but it is really likely. We don't find out  tonight. at about 9. If so then tomorrow is spent packing and saying good bye and then Wednesday is travel to the new area. Thursday trying to grasp the area and Friday we have to leave to be at the Elder Ballard conference early enough on Saturday morning so ya that is how busy our week is going to be. We even have a few lessons set up tomorrow even if I am packing. 

This past week we had an amazing lesson with B. she is definitely feeling the spirit but she just wont admit it to herself. I know she is feeling it because it is filling me so strong and elder Depries and S our member that come to our lessons with us, so she had to feel it she just needs to accept it. She also needs to get work off so she can come to church, but she told us with the Christmas season now on that is won't happen unless she gets fired or something. so ya sad at the moment.  One of our investigator has already started to live the word of wisdom, and we have a lesson with her tomorrow. other than that our week has been a bit slow, but I was able to go on exchange to New Port on Friday and that was fun and scary because we were back on bikes there and the elders bike I was on exchange, with his bike is a death trap and it was pouring rain so I felt like I was going to die the whole time but luckily i didn't. 

 

Well that is about all for this week. 

Love and prayers

Elder Poll

 Halloween week

This week started out good and just got better then slowed down a bit towards the end.Monday we were up in  Ponty Pool we planned to do a bit of work up there before dinner and follow up on some potentials that we had there, and we were able to set up an appointment with K for the next day. We had a great lesson with her it did get cut short because she had unexpected visitors and so we set up for another day to come back. Tuesday was a bit slow but that's all right everyday can't go prefect. Wednesday we had a lesson with J and it was alright but he is not interested in the gospel just a nice guys that's up to talk so we left him with a book of Mormon and our number and told him to call if he had questions, then we went to Oakfeild to follow up on some potentials and were supposed to meet with P. but he wasn't home we are pretty sure he forgot about our appointment. but then while we were at his we realized he live in 47 but there was also a 47a and so we thought maybe that is C's address and so we knocked and it was hers so she had kind of given us the right address. We had  short talk with her on the door step because she lives alone so we couldn't go in. but we set up to see her on Friday and told her we would bring a friend so we could have a longer lesson and come in and she said yes. Thursday was a bit crazy it was one of those days that doesn't got according to plan but still end up great, two of our lesson had to reschedule and so we were kind of stuck in Ponty Pool with all of our plans fallen apart so we started to track a street and brain storm a few other ideas of what we could do or who we could see but then as we were talking to people the street turned out to be amazing and we got 5 potentials on the same street. Friday was the best day ever!!! 

We had interviews with president, district meeting, and 3 amazing lessons.

So on Tuesday we met a lady ( i shouldn't say lady she is only 4 years older than me ,i still don't think i am 20) but she is awesome. Thursday she text us and said I am really excited to meet with you guys and then on Friday while we were in interviews she text again and said do you guys have some time today and we were like yes and so we met her right after interviews and the lesson was amazing, She completely agrees with the word of wisdom already and she was the one that brought it up and not even that she had read about us and not drinking and stuff but she already believed it herself and we are meeting with her later this week and she already said that she wants to come to church this week so that's amazing.!!

Then bro Slade picked us up and we went to our lesson with C and it went really well also and Bro. Slade was awesome and shared how he came to know how church was true with her. Later we had a lesson with a less active member and talked about how important church was and about the sacrament and I think it clicked with him. Only problem he didn't tell us that he needed a lift to church until Saturday night and so we set one up but the member forgot and so now I feel really bad we talked about the importance of church and then he agreed and then could get there. One of the biggest problems with getting people to church is lots of them rely on public transport and it doesn't run on Sundays and so we have to arrange a ride with members for them but then they become dependent on us getting them rides and never commit to making it to church unless we get them there and if we don't they aren't bothered by not going so they never try to arrange it for themselves and so when missionaries change rides don't get arranged and people stop coming and stuff and it is really complicated. I wish everyone had a car like they do back home it would make things so much easier.

After M we had a bit of dinner and then had a lesson with B and Sheldon came as a member present and it was great she for sure felt the spirit she just won't admit it. 

Saturday Halloween we tried to set stuff up but it just all fell apart and we couldn't really be knocking on doors. It would put a really bad impression on us because the Jehovah's witnesses biggest tracting and proselyting day is Halloween here so we are encouraged not to knock on doors and so we went by some people that we had met before but just didn't have appointment with and as we dropped by a this man we caught him in and had a lesson with him we talked about the plan of salvation and it was really cool, he asked really big question at the end. He has served in the military and has killed people and he wanted to know if God would forgive him for what he had done, and also he thought he was doing the right thing and saving people lives and so in a way doesn't know if he needs to repent. That is a really big personal thing between him and god. we talked with him about some of the wars in the book of Mormon and gave him some sections to read and told him to pray about it and he said he defiantly would. so that was great!

Love you guys 

Elder Poll

Miracle week!!

 

Sorry about last week we did go to the castle last week and we took the bus this time to get out there. Last time we took the train and it took longer, but a less active member we have been working with wanted to come and so i didn't feel good just ignoring him and typing a long email especially because it was on the ipad So this week was pretty awesome, lots of things happened by accident and lots of stuff was planned but it all came together for a really good week. We were able to have a lesson with almost everyone of our investigators and get 4 set up for member presents and that is a lot here. We are hoping to make that the norm because it was great. Anything with a member is better, and one of the main reasons why it has been so awesome this week is because they also gave a lifts to the lessons they came to, so that is way better than having to plan around a bus, and B is doing good and I think she is really starting to grasp what we are talking about, and we also made good progress with S she is doing so good, with her I can pretty much guaranty that its not a matter of if she gets baptized it is more like when. She isn't on a date yet but I don't think it will be long, and the cool part was she is already doing missionary work not specifically for our church but for Christianity. And we are the only missionaries she knows so she invited us over to teach, her brother who is visiting from Scotland. He goes back tomorrow but we did see him at church last week and we had a lesson with him and s and P on Saturday and then they were at church this Sunday. They had us for dinner last night also, he seems really cool we are going to try and get him in contact with the missionaries up there but he is moving down here to England in the next 4 months or so. So even if we can't get him in contact with the elders up there he will see the missionaries down here once he moves. 

We had this really cool experience last night. on Saturday we were trackting and we stopped this lady on the street in between the houses She was really drunk but she said she was interested and she gave us here address and told us to come by. We weren't sure what it would be like but we thought okay can't be that bad, so we stopped by last night just to see if the address was real and set something for this week. When we knocked a different guy answered and said that he lived alone and he didn't know that women but said that he would appreciate a visit. His life had been really ruff the last ten months and he could use some help and we were obviously like sure. We set up a time to see him this week. He is such a cool guy. Yesterday was an amazing Sunday. It was as good as the Sunday after A's baptism and the Sunday I got to bless the sacrament with him. It was that good. and we also got fed dinner and lunch yesterday so no dishes it was great. But anyway back to P as we were walking  away from his house we thought about how we got to meet him and how it all worked. The drunk lady was not planning on giving an address she was going to give us her phone number but her phone kept going off with people trying to call her and so she gave up on trying to give us her number, because an important phone call came through. So she told us her address and quickly hurried off, and it was so cool we though back that it had to be the lord getting us P's address so we could meet him.

So things have been full of miracles this week and I have really seen the hand of the lord guiding us to where we need to be. 

Elder Depriest is doing great he can do most things now. We still can't ride bikes or anything like that but he is out of his sling and can tie his own shoes now so its good.

Love you 

Elder Poll

A little time at the hospital...

So this week has been interesting on Monday we did the normal stuff and had a lesson with B ( we are helping him to stop smoking) on Tuesday we had a work over with the zone leaders and then they gave us a lift to Ponty Pool to do some work up there and that went well had a dinner appoint. and then stopped by some people on the way home. Wednesday we had zone meeting and did some finding.  Thurs we had a lesson with A, then we were on our way to another appointment. Just coming down the hill by our flat and usually Elder D is in the back and I lead out because he is new and doesn't know where to go but this time he knew where we were going so he went first and we got going and then I look up and a car had just cut across the road to do a three point turn and didn't see him and cut just in front of him and he ran into him, he flew over the top of the car and landed on his shoulder and rolled three time and at this point I had to rip on my breaks or do the same thing he did. I stopped and got him out of the road and checked him out, we thought he was fine just going to be bruised so we went on like it was okay and were walking to our next appointment. Then we remembered to call Sister Leopard and tell her and she told us we had to go to the emergency room and get it checked out, and so we canceled our other appointments and the zone leaders came and took us to the hospital. and we got an x-ray. They showed it to us and told us it's broken. Even me not being a doctor could see that it was really broken, like not connected at all broken, so they gave him a sling and told him they would call to set up another appointment in the next week. Friday we had a few appointments and then a family had us over for dinner. They didn't think about the fact that my companion didn't have two hands to operate the knife so it was funny to see him struggle trying to cut his meat and then I offered to cut it for him but he said no so sister S just took it and cut it for him and we all laughed really hard. On Saturday we had a lesson with several others and had to take buses around to all of them. The problem with buses is they take up a lot of our time in travel and stop running around 6, so after that we have to walk back from where ever we are, and they don't run on Sundays.

That is pretty much our week.

Love and prayers Elder Poll

Spending time with the police

Monday we thought we should take elder Du Plessis serial number to his bike to the police so they could just check all the ones they came across just in case the people who stole it tried to paint it or something, that payed off. then we got transfer calls that night and elder Du Plessis was transferred. Wednesday we left for Peterborough and I waited with the zone leaders all day for my new comp to get here, and about 30 min before the coach arrived with him the Cheltanham zone leaders called saying the elder DePriests front wheel to his bike was on there coach for some reason not on ours and so that stunk that night trying to get his bike back to the flat. Luckily for us we had a spare rim at the flat and that worked for a few days, then when we got back on the train to come back to Cwmbran we got to New Port station and some one took one of Elder DePriests bags off the train and stole stuff in it, but we didn't notice till we got to Cwmbran and went to get his stuff of the train and it wasn't there, then on Thursday we were on the train back from the district meeting. we got a call from the police saying they have elder Du Plessis bike, so we went to get that, they take forever at the station 1 hour there, then the assistant the the president called and told us that the Newport police have elder DePriests bag and that we need to call them. got that all figures out, on Friday we had a lesson with one of our investigators and then headed to Newport  and when we got there finding out that lots of his stuff was stolen. We also had a lesson with a less active member. Saturday we travel to conference because most members watch it here on internet, we had to take a  train to the stake center to watch it and train back after. Sunday a member gave us a lift to conference and we were there all day till 7 because on Sunday they rebroadcast the priesthood session and the Saturday afternoon session, then watch the Sunday morning session and then we will watch the Sunday afternoon session later this week. It was all awesome.

I think president Uchtdorf just hit right from the start and just slammed me with the spirit that stayed for the whole conference. 

I also read some of the talks form the women conference and that was cool I really liked the story president Uchtdorf told there.
That's all for this week.
Love you guys.

Elder Poll

Just a little excitement this week!!

So the majority of our week was a bit lame and not much excitement. We had a few lessons and nothing much came of them or so we thought. and it just kind of felt like a normal week until Saturday. normally on a Saturday we have an activity at the chapel for investigators to meet members. but we have been asked not to have them anymore by the mission and the ward because of some stuff with other missionaries in the mission getting hurt and stuff so no more activity but that's okay. So we went up and did some work in Ponty Pool then we went out and were doing some work in a part of our area on a huge hill. and that was all good and then we had an appointment with a LA in town and we got there and he forgot to tell us that he had to cancel, so we were like okay we will do some tracting. So we were tracting nearby a members house and thought we would go and stop by and say hi. and then........

We were talking to this member outside his house and a few chavs walked by. (stupid under educated kids that poke fun at us and harass us all the time) they made some rude comments like normal then they kept walking. Suddenly one of them turned back grabbed Elder D's bike and started running. I was the first to register that he was stealing it and ran after him. I almost had him but then he was able to get onto the bike and ride away, then the other friends of his caught up to me and so did Elder D. As I was turing around one of them punched me then another got in my face I thought that we were about to get in a big fight, then they seemed to calm down, and I just started to walk away because there were too many of them to win probably and I was trying to be the bigger person and represent the Lord and leave it to the police. They started to get mouthy towards us again but they knew that the police had been called so they ran off and we just went back to the members house and waited for the police. Then we went to the station and were there for like 4 hours making statements and stuff so we got to bed at around 1 in the morning. I got to go on a ride along with them to see if I could point out the kids who did it but we didn't find them. Don't worry though I am okay the punch wasn't very good.and the police gave us a lift home, which was nice of them.

We woke up the next morning tired and sore but the member whose house it happened in front of gave us a lift which was nice of him.

We had a lesson with a young man and asked him if he wanted to be baptized he said no but that he wanted to come to church some time. It felt kind of empty with no commitment, but then Sunday at the beginning of sacrament meeting our phone vibrated in my pocket and normal I would ignore it especially because we were sitting next to a less active that called us out of the blue on Saturday and said he wanted to come to church. So I was trying to be a good example but I just felt like I should check the phone. It was our investigator and so we went out in the hall and called him back and he asked us for direction to the church from nearby and so he came to sacrament and Sunday school then had to got but that was really cool.  We had a great lesson with one of our investigators in a part member family and they also fed us dinner twice this week. Nepalese food it was really good nothing I had ever had before but really good.  We were at the house last night for dinner and then they gave us a lift home, that was nice because it was a long walk back. And that was our week.

Love you guys
Elder Poll

 Short Week

This week has been good we have a new investigator, he is from Nepal. Wow I just realized how may investigators we have from there we have 3 but luckily all of there English is very good. because my Nepalese is rubbish. the only words I have picked up are husband and wife because that's what we here all the time at our other investigators house. In there country it's respect full to just call each other husband and wife. This week has been good though we had a lesson with only a few investigators but we have been doing a lot of work with less actives. We had a fast with one  Saturday to Sunday to help him stop smoking. We also had exchanges this week. I went to New Port and that was nice a bit of change of scenery for a day.

 

I did have a few close calls on my bike this week I have decided that I am a horrible driver. I will try to be more careful this week that is one of my goals. The other is to write in my journal better. 

Well the fire alarm is going off so we have to go. Know I am fine and will talk to you next week. 

Love Elder Poll

Looking like school boys...
 

So this week was really tiring and good but most of our lesson canceled and rescheduled and school started back up over here last week and so we are back to looking like school boys again. Everyone over here for school wears a shirt tie and slacks. The ties are color coordinated for each school and stuff so we look kind of like school kids now.

In place of some of our lessons we were able to do a lot of service this week so that was nice. Saturday kind of felt like one back home working hard sweating a trying to make everything work the way you want it to.
We were helping a member move from one of the other wards in the stake to our ward. The other ward has two little sister missionaries and they wouldn't have been much help with all the big stuff that we were moving so we were given permission to leave our area for the day and to get them all moved. It was an all day thing from 10 in the morning till 9 at night. They had lots of stuff heavy stuff, and stairs in this country are narrow and steep and man was I tired after that I slept really well. 

Most of our week was taken up with meetings and finding. We had zone meeting on Wednesday and it was good but the things are going to be harder to implement than other training we have received. We were taught some different things to do then we had been doing before with our finding. Should be interesting.

We also helped a guy trim his hedge this week and I have to say I am becoming quite the master hedge trimmer. To bad we don't really have big hedges back home or I might have a job when i get home. As for our investigator she is doing good just busy for the next few weeks. She is heading off to Spain on Friday and won't be back for a week so we have a lesson with her on Thursday and then we will have to wait till she gets back.

I love you guys i will talk to you next week.
Elder Poll

Met a Prophetess...

Hi Everyone

So this week has been really good.

I had a really funny experience on Wednesday that made me laugh really hard. We had exchanges on Wednesday and so we went to New Port on the train to swap and when we got there the other team wasn't there yet. We were just standing in the station and a lady came up to us and asked if two good elders from the Mormon church would watch her bags for her while she went to go get her ticket and without thinking I said sure, she said thanks and left us with the bags. When she came back she went all funny and said she was a prophetess and she started prophesying over elder D and me and she told him that he wasn't yet worthy of heaven but that in ten days he would be and so he needed to be extra careful until then. Then she said that I was worthy of heaven and also told elder D to get off the computer that it was hurting his salvation and stuff. Then the funniest part is she looks right at me and she says there is a sister missionary in Blackwood that is blond and that we are to be wed in holy matrimony in 3 years. she is saying this deadly serious and I was just trying not to laugh and then she says HOLY MATRIMONY like its really important. She asked for my help to get her stuff through the security gates so I did then I had to go back and do our swaps. It was really funny she was leaving New Port and going to Scotland because she had seen a vision that all the cities were wicked and going to be destroy and stuff it was a hoot. So I now know who I am supposed to marry but I will keep her name to myself because you guys would just make fun of me and you don't need to know. That was probably the highlight of the week. but the rest was pretty good also.

Will you guys keep our investigator in your prayers things are really looking good. We had two lesson with her this week and she doesn't seem to have any big problems with anything we have taught so far but we haven't taught the word of wisdom yet so that might be a struggle. We will have to see. Oh also while on exchange this week I was with elder Berquist here in Cwmbran and he has actually served here before and so that was pretty fun. 

Well Love you guys. Elder Poll

August 24

Life for us this week was really good we didn't have a lot of lessons this week but we were able to do a lot of finding and to set up some good stuff for the coming week, but man did we get wet. It has rained for at least 2 hours every day since Monday but we have been lucky to stay out of most of the worst stuff. We were in the worst storm that was on Sunday night and it was thunder and lightning but it was really far away, it was cool and weird the water was cold but the weather was really warm. It reminded me of the rain that we get back home, down pour then nothing but it was cool, we did get in with a guy to tell him about the church and all he wanted to do was bash with us so we went back out into the rain haha.

On Tuesday we went out to Usk, a part of our area that i am not sure missionaries have been to in over a year and it was quite a trek to get out there but fun. I was just praying that I didn't get a flat tire on the way out there. We planned we would go out there and then the next day it was raining and we were thinking maybe not, then we just went for it and it was fun but really wet, I found out what other missionaries were saying that after about a year a water proof jacket isn't very water proof any more. It's like they design them to fail after a year because the one I have was soaked through. Luckily a had another jacket with me one that another missionary left behind and that saved me but man were we wet. but we got to see some ponies on the side of the road and we fed them apples.

We also got mistaken as police twice this week once when we went to knock on a door and they opened it and asked why we were there what had  they done and we said we are the missionaries and they were like no thanks, another we went up to this old man and he asked are you out on patrol and then he realized we weren't police officers. He was nice but not interested.
Things in the way of investigators should be pretty good this week. Love you guys I cant think of anything else to say right now. I am doing good, I love my mission and I love you guys so much and thanks for all your love and support.
Elder Poll

August 31

This week has been one of those week that you work hard and everything looks good and then no one shows up to anything really, Our zone conference was actually a zone meeting but with president. (zone meeting is usually just the zone with the zone leaders doing the teaching that they heard from president in there meeting) (zone conference is with two or three zones together and president gives the training himself) This was kind of in between, it was good but I was really hoping for zone conference.They are more fun and also more spiritual, but what was cool was they opened it up at the end of the meeting for testimonies. I just felt I had to share mine and I don't really remember what I said but it had to do something along the lines of missions are hard but rewarding. When I said bore my testimony E didn't realize how many new missionaries were there. We had about 6 missionaries that had been out less that 4 weeks. All of them said that it helped them so I guess that was cool this week. I'm glad I made a difference for them because the rest of our week was a bit of a bust. Almost all of our lessons canceled or didn't show up. We did get the chance to do a lot of service this week and that was nice. It is good to finish a day and be physically as tired as you are mentally.  I am almost always tired mentally but physically not as much any more because my body has adjusted to missionary life and biking a lot. That was the big thing in this area that I had to adjust to. Now I have pretty much adjusted and now I just don't get as tired.

Something I learned this week is elder D is really good at making things look perfect. We were laying some stones for a base for a shed this week and they got us a level but elder D hardly needed it he would just scrape the ground flat and pat it and stuff then he would lay the block and it would just be level it was cool and crazy.
Well that's all for this week.
Love you guys.
Elder Poll

No Flat Tires this Week

Things here have been good and interesting at the same time. The work has been going better and the flat tire thing thank heavens is doing better. I haven't had one all week... (cross your fingers it stays like that). I didn't realize why I was getting so many. There is broken glass all over the roads here and I didn't really realize that till I got really vigilant after many flat tires. its EVERYWHERE!!! So I have been really careful the last week. and I was extra careful yesterday because we went on a long bike ride to the edge of our area. If I had gotten a flat then it would have taken me hours to walk back home. It was a 2 hour bike ride so I would guess a 5 hour walk back. Needless to say I was driving miss daisy careful. ( I think that's the right reference anyway not the fast and the furious anyway)

Anyway this week had been good. We were all over. I feel kind of  like a rag doll. We had flat inspection on Tuesday,then we went to Newport to do exchanges On Wednesday we were in Rwibina for zone meeting. The rest of the days we were in Cwmbran except on Saturday and Sunday we were up in the other part of our area. Pontypool in Saturday and Blenavon on Sunday. Pontypool isn't that far away but Blenavon was the 2 hour bike ride there and we did some work there then detoured through some other small towns on the way back stopping by some people. All in all we were on our bikes for probably 4 to 5 hours on Sunday and my muscles feel it. Even the ones I didn't use are still stiff from being on a bike for so long.

Oh we had a fun talk with a lady on Saturday. She told us that every organization is corrupt and that behind all of it is child abuse She basically made the statement that our church was the same. It was weird though because it started out really good, she told us that her brother was a member but that he had died and we thought, or at least I did... golden teach her the plan of salvation and she will be ready. Then it went down hill. She said that her brother was the type to only get involved if he could get some thing out of it and that he probably wasn't truly into it. Then she said that all any church wants to do is control people and take their money and that the money go's to pay for all the crimes they commit or the people at there head commit. We tried to help her seen it a different way but she wouldn't even give us time to speak. Then her husband came out and told us to leave, We thought it probably for the best that we did. We just tried to stay positive and laugh it off, now it is just a funny memory for me. hahaha.

We were able to get lessons with a few of our potentials and that was good, and we committed them to church but none showed up except this one less active, and that went horribly wrong... She got upset within the first few min and left threatening  to burn the church down. She has a child that is really loud and she knows that, but she won't take her out of the meeting when she gets loud and disruptive. One of the members must have mentioned it and she flipped out and was walking out and saying things like I don't even know why we come to church and more. A few of the members that are kind of friends with her had to keep her from coming back in and her telling everyone what she thought of them.  Needless to say we are going to give her some time to cool down.

On a brighter note we also have some really ambitious members and they asked for 6 Book of Mormons and said they were having a challenge with there grand kids in the next ward over so that was cool.  And my recent convert in Worcester wants to go on a mission. He is looking into whether or not he can go because he will turn 26 to early. He is going to see if he can get permission to go anyway.

That's about all for this week. Love you guys.
Elder Poll

More Bike Trouble!!!

So this week we had a good week but I got three flat tires and that was a big bummer and had a bit more bike trouble but I think I got it sorted out now and I realized that patching tires is a pain and is time consuming and difficult with a  racer bike.

 So this week felt like a really good week we were out working hard and the weather was great it was letting us do everything we wanted to be doing with no rain, but when we looked at our numbers it didn't show it.
On the plus side we had a zone conference with Elder Dykes a member of the seventy and he talked to us on Tuesday about how we can be more effective in our efforts and the things that we need to work on. We did a survey about a week before he came and he used the results of the survey to decide what to talk to us about. It was another trip to Riwbina at 7 in the morning, but at least I wasn't still serving in Worcester, they come to the same meeting as us and have to travel a lot further.

How are the missionaries there anyway have you seen them at all lately? After serving in Worcester and the ward mission leader recently returned from serving in Utah I realized how different missionary work in Utah is from where I am.  And I just realized I miss the rain storms in Utah. Here it just rains all the time and the sky just stays dark, like last week i didn't see a blue sky for 4 days but in Utah you can smell the rain coming and then it just hits and hits hard then goes away. Here it just lingers and lingers and lingers some more.

That's about it for the week. Have a great week.
Love Elder Poll

 It's Been a Year!!!

So this Sunday our ward here did the flip flop and now we have sacrament first, it was good I think I made it easier to focus during sacrament. This week had been good. I did it I made it to a year i didn't think this would ever come but it did, and it was fun elder Michelson and I were on exchange that night and we came out together. he is the one that was in my district at the very beginning of my mission that the Johansens know. We burned our white shirts together at our flat because we have a fire pit in our back garden, then we were going to watch meet the Mormons until we had to go to bed but we didn't get the chance because we were in later coming in because we were teaching a lesson but it was still awesome. Most of the rest of this week has been stop by's but not many people were in which was sad. We also got lost in the hills by accident, we thought we would be clever and take a short cut to our next stop by and we saw this path on our map and we took it and it should have intersected with  a rode. We could take that rode to the place we were going, but somehow we had missed the road. All in all a 30 min blunder on our part, but we did talk to a nice lady that gave us directions and we tried to set something up with her but she wasn't having it. We also went to a referrals house this week they were cool but don't want to here the gospel. They claim to be druids and I am not sure what they believe.
We had a good lesson with some less active this week one came to church and the other committed to come next week also an investigator also committed to come so fingers crossed that it all works out. We have a area seventy visiting the mission tomorrow and are excited about that.
Love you guys and will talk to you next week
Elder Poll

Watch out for pigeons!!!

 So i got pooped on by a pigeon, and my bike helmet got stolen but its okay I am doing fine.

Ya it has been one of those kind of weeks. it started out pretty awesome we had a week full of good stuff planned. Tuesday was good some of our appointments canceled but we were okay good weather and good work got done, and we had a DA with a member that loves horses so I got to talk horses for like an hour with her, (she is the one that wants to see pictures of the horses please send some) and then we also baked cookies to take to our investigators because that is what previous missionaries said they had done so we tried our best, I thought they tasted good.

Wednesday was good we had a lesson with a couple and that went really good I think then we went up to Ponty pool area and stopped by some people up there and had dinner with them and our new member came as well and that was awesome.Thursday was were things started to go badly for me. the morning was fine all good just a bit rushed. Our interview with president go moved up at the last second so we rushed to a train, had district meeting and interviews and that was really good President Leopard is really cool and chill. then we came back and with trains it always takes you twice as long to do something than needs to be done, so we didn't get back till 5:40 but that's okay then we went straight to a DA with brother Forward and that was good as always that guy is a spiritual giant, then we went to meet with a less active in town and that's when it happened the great poop. We were sitting on a bench in town talking to him and just out of the blue a pigeon swoops and poops and it hit me on the hand the head and the back, i do feel a bit luck because it wasn't like the black and white poops it was clear like pee or some thing but it was still gross and our investigator and Elder D. laughed at me. So we got back to the flat I changed and washed my head and hand and tried to forget about it. then on Friday everything was going fine a few of our lessons flogged or canceled on us but that's normal for missionary life, one had just gotten out of the hospital and didn't feel well enough to meet with us, so we went and did a little tracting and that's when my helmet got nicked (stolen sorry British English) while we had our bike locked up. we locked our bikes up but usually we don't worry to much about our helmets because who really wants to steal a sweaty nasty helmet and especially mine it has a few dents in it from my wreck and ya its just rubbish but they took mine and left elder D. and his is like brand new mine is three years old. but anyway I was without a helmet for a few days. we went back to our flat and all elder D could do was laugh at me, and also the weather on Friday was awful rain pouring down all day. I changed my cloths once and almost twice but by the time you get soaked through the second time you are just used to it so I didn't bother to change again. 

On Saturday we were pretty booked up with appointments so I didn't think I would have time to look for a helmet but then one of our appointments flogged so we went a looked at one store and they wanted 15£ for a helmet and I wasn't going to pay that much and we didn't have time to look at any other shops so I just went without. I was just really careful. Yesterday it rained all day pretty much again so we were all decked out in our rain gear water proof trousers and i got smarter and double jacketed, because no matter how good of a water proof you have it will go through at some point so I put on two one to get rid of most of the water and one to keep the rest off of me. and it was a good day two lessons and a DA, then later that night after planning there was a knock on our door and  an investigator of ours (we had mentioned that my helmet got stolen and she must have mentioned it to,  her uncle who's wife is a member) he came and gave me a helmet and said that he hadn't even opened it and had had it for 20 years because he always meant to ride his bike but never did, so now I have a helmet.

So that has been our epic adventure of the week.

love you guys!

Elder Poll

Here's the last two weeks

July 20

So I will be here for a while i think at least till the end of the transfer because after we finished emailing last week they called and told elder Rasmussen that he was leaving and that they would pick him up in 3 hours so it kind of ruined our pday we basically just went home and he packed and then left then we went a got our shopping done and that was it. Now it is just me and my companion from south Africa and he is cool we get along alright so things are good.This week we were all over the place in and out of both areas and stuff.

Tuesday we had a cool lesson with Donna a former investigator that is really interested but just really busy so previous missionaries gave up on her but that was good. Please pray the we will be able to meet up with her again this week. then we had dinner with a very cool family the ones we helped move in last transfer and he does a home business in razors for shaving and he just gave a us a free set of shaving stuff so I have the fancy brush and soap and cool razor to use.

Wednesday we had  zone meeting and it was cool i got to meet the Elder from Ben's ward he is being trained in my zone. We had a lesson with a recent convert she is from china.

Wednesday we helped a member move out of the ward to Sommerset. and that was good some good old fashion physical labor.The rest of the week was pretty much finding but it was all good 

oh ya we had a record for DA's this week we had 5 that might even have topped any of my other areas for how many in a week. and this week we have three, but we are really trying to get into members houses not just for food. We have the money for food, but just to get to know everyone, Have you guys had the missionaries around much in the home ward since I have been out or not really.

Also one of our investigators just went into labor on Saturday and it was early she should still be a month or so away from 9 months so she was in the hospital and just got out this morning so we are going to take her cookies tonight and see how she is doing. But that's about it for this week.

thanks guys love you.

July 13

 

So new this week if you couldn't guess from my statement about companions I will inform you I am back into a tripanionship for the second time on my mission. So transfers brought some weird news Monday night we got the call we were staying but on Tuesday morning as we were going to get my bike fixed we walked about 10 min away from the flat and got a call telling us that our area is closing down and that we needed to get our flat all packed up and cleaned up so they could give it back to the rental agency. Elder B would be going to Kidiminster in a tripanionship and that i would be going to Cwmbran a flat with the other elders in a tri so that was our day on Tuesday packing everything up into boxes. Lucky for us a member had just moved in and they said that we could have some of there boxes so we boxed and cleaned everything and the other elders came and helped us and we got it all done just in the nick of time. Me and elder B were up till probably 12 getting everything clean. then on Tuesday I took elder B to Cardiff and he got on the coach and left for Kidiminster then I was back in a tri with the other elders, we were lucky enough to have some really cool members that gave us some help with getting my stuff from one flat to the other and also getting my bike there as well. (still wasn't fixed yet because we had to go back and clean the flat instead of getting it fixed). I did get my bike fixed today all the way, the handle bars actually were mostly ok they bent them back and that with it but I had messed up my back tire so I had to get a new one of those put on today so now everything is all good.

 I could move at any time to a new area and out of a tri or I could stay like this for a whole transfer, I just don't know, I am honestly not sure if i should give you my new address.

Anyway needless to say this week has been interesting to say the least 3 guys again in one room but at least I have a good mattress and neither one snores so I can get some sleep. Elder S snored really bad, and on the plus side I have a bed frame now, 

So as investigators go i just gained about 10 so that was good, and both of my new comps are cool.

So amazing. funny stuff one of my comps now is elder Rasmussen but no relation to pres, and

Elder D is my other one he is from South Africa, elder R is from Sandy Utah.

This week has been interesting and good and I love you guys and I will send more to you next week about how our tipanionship is going, 

Love Elder Poll

 Just a little bike crash

So positive news we do have a new investigator and we should be getting
one later this week as well. And oh
we went to castle today for pday it was awesome I was off to a ,out
amazing pday until I crashed on my bike and now my head and my leg
hurt. And I need to fix my handlebars on my bike.
President  is cool I thought he would be a bit scary at first
because when he first walked in he didn't smile or anything but as
soon as he started to talk to us he asked each of us to come up and
shake his hand, when we did he was smiling and laughing and joking
around I even hugged him and I was the first one to do that then after
me all the elders did. It was pretty funny though because elder B
told me he was going to hug president and I joked with him just don't
kiss him and it will be okay but then elder B was before me and
he didn't even hug him and I didn't even mean to hug him I got into a
half hug then felt awkward and pulled out then he said elder it's okay
to hug me if you want to and so I finished the hug, but he is cool. By
the end of he meeting he was joking with us. What really surprised me
though was the fact that they are really young and they told us that he
hadn't really held large and important callings they had just been
called out of the blue.
But the rest of this week has been pretty normal finding and more
finding, I used to find it really discouraging to go finding for hours
and not find anyone but then you realize that they are not rejecting
you they are rejecting the Savior and I am not saying that that makes
it easier to find but that it does make it sting a little less.
And oh we went to castle today for pday it was awesome I was off to a great
amazing pday until I crashed on my bike and now my head and my leg
hurt. And I need to fix my handlebars on my bike.
But the castle was amazing.

Love you
Elder Poll

 Getting a new Mission President.

This week has been tiring but good and still not quite what I was hoping. So we still don't have any new investigators this week but we did have a few people tells us we could come back by so that was progress as we went by some former investigators. It was interesting to read some of the descriptions for people then meet the actual people and some times the description fits and some time you look and your like what was that elder thinking when he wrote this, or has this person changed that much since the missionaries last saw him. So the work is slow right now.

This week i went on exchange to New Port with elder Jam Jam from .South Africa he is cool but it was a pretty lame exchange because he had earlier that week been at an investigators house and went upstairs to use the toilet and on his way back down he slid or fell he doesn't really remember how it happened just one min he was at the top of the stairs the other he was are the bottom in lots of pain, He landed on his back and the doctors said that he has deeply bruised muscle and bones so he was on crutches and pain killers when I was with him and so he couldn't do a  lot and he was just tired all the time form the pills so we taught a lesson and then had a dinner appointment and then went back to the flat and he went to bed and I was board for like 4 hours, 

Cool... new this week we helped a new family move in and they are awesome and they are the stake presidents in-laws and they have already set a good impression in my mind probably because after we finished  they told us that they would have us over for dinner as soon as they got settled and that they would like to have us over whenever they can to eat with them. It is just the two of them and they like company so that's nice. 

Also i think we are starting to make a better impression on the members than the last missionaries did because the members are all wanting to have us over for dinner. This week we have three DA's which is like a record for this area for the past 6 months I have heard so that's nice.

I will try to get the info on presidents home coming and stuff so that you can go and meet him, he is leaving on Wednesday. I love the guy and I can't believe that he is leaving it's going to be weird being here without him. It will be interesting to see how things change with President Leopard. I don't anticipate any big changes for at least 6 weeks maybe more then things might change.

I love you guys and I will let you know how things go with the new mission president

Love Elder Poll

This has been a hard week

So this week has been good but also depressing I wish I had some
really great things to say like we are teaching lots people but right
now we are not teaching anyone so it's been a rough week for me when we
did our weekly planning it was sad. All we did was plan ideas to find
new investigators and stuff. We had a hard week and we will
probably have a hard week ahead.

So this week we biked to Blaenavon a really far obscure part of our
area and it took us 1 1/2 to bike there without stopping. My butt was
so sore and my legs were burning but at the same time it was a good
burning like I was working hard but I slept really good that night. I
fact funny thing my companion says I snore really bad but that it
didn't start until after our meeting with elder Holland but he says
that I have snored ever since. I don't really care how I sleep and
 he gets enough sleep but he wishes that I would stop snoring.
I found some cool post cards that I am going to send they are Welsh
stuff and it is really cool. Welsh is cool I want to learn it after my
mission.  Well I love you guys and I am not sure what else to tell you
other than I am really excited because next week we are going to visit
Caerphilly castle for pday.

Love and prays
Elder Poll

Got to meet Elder Holland...Awesome!!!

So this week has been crazy but good we had exchanges and also our over nigher in Cardiff so we could go to our meeting with Elder Holland on Thursday. by the way that meeting was awesome I made a voice recording about it it is on dropbox. Also Monday we went to a mine shaft and got to tour that and it was awesome we went a mile under the ground and it was so cool and there are pictures of that on drop box but they wouldn't let us take pictures in the mine for fear of static that could spark an explosion. honestly most of our week is on the voice recording.

Also we went this morning to get Elder B a new suit with some members because Elder B didn't have a suit so the members wanted to get him one and it is really nice. I was really happy for him. The new bike is awesome. Thanks for the scripture about the jw's we see them almost every day and people get us confused with them. About every day people go past us and yell bible bashers and stuff but its alright.

We have a new investigator his name is Michael we met him while we were street contacting in Pontypool but we didn't think it would go anywhere. Then out of the blue he text us and asked if we could meet so we did and it is going well. He might have some concerns about the word of wisdom but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

That's about it for this week love you guys and listen to the voice recording so you can get the rest of the week stuff

Love and prayers Elder Poll

So we listened to the voice recording and he talked about how great the message that Elder Holland gave was. He said that they got there a little early so the got a really good seat. They were on the 3rd row so they could even see him spit. He said it felt like Elder Holland was talking directly to him. 

Before the meeting he and each missionary was able to shake his hand. They got to tell him there name and where they were from. When Elder Poll told him his name and where he was from he asked if he was Bob Poll's grandson. (Apparently Bob was in the same mission with him and they were in the mission office together and traveled around the mission quite a bit together.) Anyway he was excited Elder Holland told them that as he was shaking their hands he was conducting a personal interview with each of them. He told them that usually he has to give the obedience talk. But he felt after talking to each one that he was able to give a different talk and he gave them a great one on the Atonement.  Elder Holland was there with a couple of area seventy's and they spoke for a few min. And Blake said that while they were speaking that you could watch Elder Holland almost like he was receiving revelation right there about what to speak about. He was very impressed and it was the best meeting he has ever been to.

I Broke My Bike

I broke my bike and so i need to buy a new one today. It was sad we were biking this last week and i broke my back tire and messed up all the gears. and now it will cost more for me to fix my bike that to just get a new one. but I am not going to make the same mistake that i made on the last one i am going to spend more and get one that won't give me problems. I have had it  for about 10 months but in my first two areas i didn't really use it and now I came here and use it every day and I broke it in a week and then I payed a bit to fix it the first time and then it broke worse and now I need a new bike. I also tried to talk to some of the missionaries going home and most of them don't have bikes or have broken them or they are about to brake so I thought well that stinks. i wish i had the bike i left bike home it is nice and doesn't brake and its a good brand and it is easy to fix and my bike here is none of those.

Other than the bike thing the only real excitement was that Elder Holland did come to Scotland and they broadcast that to the whole uk Ireland and Scandinavia and he is still coming to talk to us on Thursday. man I am so excited and his talk on Sunday was so cool he talked about the book of Mormon and how important it is and it was just so powerful he did a pulpit slam with his book of Mormon and it was awesome. Oh we had zone meeting and I got to see some of the kids from my group that were in the mtc with me and it was really cool they are still the awesome guys that I remember. and kind of funny one of them is actually serving in the same ward as me here in Cwbrawn. 

so to explain the tripanionship thing. it was because there were extra missionaries but also I feel like now that it was a blessing to get here early so that elder s could show me around so i could learn the area because elder B doesn't really know the area because he had only been here 4 weeks and he is not good with directions and reading maps and stuff. so I know my way around the area as good or better than elder B. but that's okay he is a cool guy. 

Man I missed Alma camp dang I love that place it was such a good preparation for the mission and it really helped me to learn and recognize when I was feeling the spirit.

As for investigators we don't really have any right now so could you just pray that we might find some people and that they will keep there appointments. We have been challenged to get 2 new investigators before Elder Holland speaks to us and we are currently and 0 so your prayers would be much appreciated.

Man it sounds like you guys have a lot of projects going. we have a few here ourselves. There are a few members that live not to far from us that are elderly and so they need a bit of help with there back yards. Can I just say the i miss gas powered tools that are so much more powerful and get the job done way quicker. and also I am glad we don't have any Japanese knot weed in our yard. we were helping a member try to remove some this week and it is worse than thistle not as pokey but it takes over everything and is near impossible to get rid of.

Speaking of president packer I met his grandson he is serving in Burton my first area and he is way cool he goes home at the end of this transfer with Elder D and Elder M.

also exciting this week we are going on exchange with the Newport elders but i will be staying here so I hope i don't get us to lost. 

That's about it for this week I love you guys 

Elder Poll

 No more Tripanionship

So this week has been interesting we were still in a tripanionship
until Wednesday and we got the call on Monday on who was leaving and
who is staying so now it is just me and Elder B and things are
good we have had to start from scratch with investigators because when
I got here we had none. We have two now and maybe three after tonight.
Our flat is nice and it has carpet which I have missed for the last 6
months but in my mind the down side to our area is that everything is
so far apart and far away from us so we have to bike 30 min any
direction to do any real missionary work but it's okay my leg muscles
are getting massive like they are tight inside my trousers so that's
cool. It was nice overlapping with Elder S for a week though so
that he could teach me the area because Elder B doesn't really
know the area. He has been here 4 weeks and this is his second area so
he is still getting used to having to learn the area fast so I got a
week to learn how to get everywhere. I think I have it all stored
in my head. Oh and thanks for the update on everything back home.

I hope you are all well wish my best to everyone tell them I miss and love them I have to go

Lone you so much 

Elder poll

 Not much time!!!

So we don't have any time to email this week so just a quick update. My companions are elders from Samoa and from the Philipines and things are really good here. Our area is all hills and so we bike a lot and so my legs are getting really big. Also exciting news they gave us our ipads on Thursday but we are not authorized to use them yet not sure when we will get that permission so right now they are just sitting on our table at our flat. Wales is great and just so you know i have met a family from our ward and they are so awesome and I like them a lot already and they already want to come and visit me when I get home. Well that's about all I have time for sorry, bank holiday so we have to take turns on the computer at the chapel and there are seven of us that need to use it because we are having a district pday. So ya, have a great week and I will send you guys pictures and stuff next week.

Love you Elder Poll

Going to Wales!!!

 Monday we got flogged/canceled on so we didn't get to teach Maria so we went to go see a less active and he wasn't home and that was our night. On Monday we hiked the Malvern hills.

Tuesday we went to visit a less active member and then we had dinner with the booths. Then we finally got in to meet with Stefan and it was good but he might not have been all there for the lesson but we left him a Book of Mormon and told him to pray and read and we are going to see him tomorrow night. 

Wednesday we did some finding and then we went and tackled some more of Angies lawn and got a good start on it. Then we went to Malvern to see Antony and then we went to games night and it was awesome

Thursday we had zone meeting then we had a lesson with Tony and then we stopped by the Nolans to see if they could help us out for signing on Saturday because Tony and Antony were going to come to Saturday night conference.

Saturday we went and attacked more of Angies lawn and we are almost there just one more time should do it. then we met with Arran and talked for a bit then we met up with bishop and went to stake conference in Cheltenham. then on Sunday we had conference and then we went an visited some less active members and some other investigators and also a cool old member who lives in the area he is one of those funny old guys that just jokes about the fact that he is old and he has all of his wits about him so it's fun to go see him.

 

K so weird transfer stuff we just got a call telling us that elder Kerr is training this Wednesday and I am moving to a place in Wales called Cumbrawan that is probably not how you spell it but ya and I will be in a tripanionship so it should be an interesting week and I will let you know next Tuesday how it goes.                 

 

I love you guys and I will let you know what happens with my tripanionship next week and how things go there. 

Elder Poll

Just a normal week

Monday was just the normal.

Tuesday we met with nad a cool guy that we tracted into last Sunday and it was not quite what we were expecting. He said that he works at the mechanic shop next door to his house and that he could just take a break and talk to us for a while then go back to work. We thought that would be good so we set an appointment for 2. When we went by and he was busy at work and he came out to talk to us for a minute just long enough to tell us that he was busy and asked if we could reschedule for another day so we set up an appointment with him for Thursday. We went from there to Malvern and tried to see Patrician and see if she was feeling better and if we could set up another appointment. but she wasn't home so then we went to Antonys for dinner and it was way good we had gammen again :)  I love that stuff. then back to Worcester to grabbed our stuff and caught a train to Gloucester for the night. because we got permission to stay the night there for a mission wide meeting so we didn't have to get up super early. So ya we stayed the night there couch surfing and then we were supposed to catch a ride with the zone leaders to the meeting but one of the other teams in our zone missed there train so they had to go and pick them up. So we walked through the pouring rain for 20 min in nothing but suits and white shirts and we got drenched. After our walk to the train station where the coach would pick us up we got on and met up with the other missionaries on the coach and road for 2 hours to the meeting at Harbourne chapel in Birmingham. the meeting was good not quite as good and Dani's because no Elder Bednar but it was still really good and got us all hiped for the new tools that will be available to us next week. Also we read the thing on our missionary portals and it said that we would be required as a missionary for the states to pay for an ipad up front and then I can take it home with me or I think get the money back at the end or something like that. They are supposed to contact you through the bishop and get it sorted out. Let me know what you hear. After the meeting we did ride with the zone leaders back to Worcester because it was on there way back so they just dropped us off right at out flat no return train journey on a coach or train for us it was really nice, and also it made it so we were on time for games night. Thursday we had Tony and the Nolan's in Malvern so we did a bit of work around Worcester then popped off to Malvern. oh and we also went and saw Scarlet, we talked to her about prayer and the power of it and that even if she doesn't feel like she is talking to anyone that God is listening. And we taught Tonly about the ten commandments and covered a bit of the law of chastity. (can I just tell you that as a 19 year old teaching grown men about the loc it is weird)

Friday we went and helped Arron with some family history in the morning and then we got some lunch and went to go see Nad and he was busy again and at that point we thought he was just trying to be nice but also wanted us to go away but he came out and apologized and said that it was supposed to be his day off but that he had gotten called in so he said that he could meet on Saturday so we were a bit frustrated. Then we went and saw Allen a cool less active guy that had a weight issues that prevents him form coming to church very often.

Saturday we went to see Nad and he had to reschedule again... can you feel my frustration through the screen but we met with him that night and it was an okay lesson. then we went to visit sister McDonald and she was really cool.  then went back to meet with Arran and then Nad

Sunday was really good except for church which is usually the highlight of the day but I was a bit scared honestly. There was a verbal argument in elders qorum and it worried me. Sunday school was fine then in sacrament it was a good start I taught and helped Arran to bless the sacrament that was really cool. then the testimonies started and one was just so bad the bishop asked him to stop and sit down. later though we met with Liam and Ben and they were both really cool so a good end to the day.

I have a challenge for all of you to update or create Mormon.org profiles if you don't know what that is search it a lds.org

Well that's about it I love you guys.

Love and prayers Elder Poll

Getting caught up!!

So today I am going to try and get Elder Poll's blog caught up. We have been out of town for a couple of weeks and I am just getting myself caught up so that I can get onto the blog and update.


Email from April 27

Here is the in depth version. Not for those of the faint of heart. undertake at your own risk. the awesomeness could kill you.

Monday transfers and elder Kerr is now serving with me here and we did some finding and got him all un- packed. It was the second most normal days of our week, but we met this guy named Issac who is a Christian but he looks Muslim. When we stopped him to talk he completely surprised us. We are meeting with him later this week. and on our walk about talking to people this guy needed some help to push his car off the road because he had run out of gas

Tuesday was awesome because it was pday and pday is always awesome and then we had dinner with Antony and we had gammon which is really good ham to put it in the easeyes to explain. and then he taught e

Elder Kerr and me some signs mostly just reviewed the basics and some church signs. then we left and went to do some street contacting and we met this guy named siril who also looked muslin but he was Christian (i really need to stop guessing by the color of peoples skin). We are meeting with him later this week also. 

Wednesday we had coordination in the morning with our ward mission leader. then we ran back and got some lunch and then changed and went to help a less active mow her lawn and it was crazy long and she has the most crap of mowers you can get even for England where most mowers are electric. but hers was awful. but anyway we had about 2 hours that we could spend there mowing he lawn and we thought that would be enough but time to get it done but we under estimated the crapyness of the mower and the length of the grass and so we only got about half done. We went back to our flat to get some dinner and change into shirts and ties, and bishop called us and asked if we could help a member move into there new house from there old one. Then we walked with Arran down to games night. we played some ping pong and some basketball then we taught everyone how to play scum and we played 4 or 5 rounds of that and it was really fun. then we got back and planed and went to bed because we were really tired. 

Thursday we spent almost the whole day helping member move all of his stuff from his storage unit to there new house. he had a lot of heavy stuff and that took us form 9 till about 4 then we rushed back to the flat and changed into S and T to go teach Tony in Malvern. Bishop dropped us off and the lesson went really good. then we hadn't heard from the Nolan's whether we were coming over for dinner or not, but since Elder Kerr was new we thought we would go over and introduce him even if we weren't having dinner with them. They hadn't planned on us but we got talking and Elder Kerr was telling them about himself and Vegas and they were about to start cooking dinner and so they just through some more in for us.

Friday was our third most normal day. we had district meeting and went to go see Allen a less active member and on our way we ran into the same guy form Monday who had run out of gas because he was out again. so we helped him out and pushed him onto the side of the road. then we taught him about the church because it could not have been a coincidence that we saw and helped him again. then we saw Allen. He is a cool guy, then we went and had dinner with the Stobbs and it was really good. then brother Stobbs who usually gives us a ride back to our flat had to go to young men, so he couldn't so brother Stones who they had over for dinner gave us a ride home. He is a cool guy, he was in the British special forces now has a spinal injury that makes him have to use crutches so we were not really sure how he drives but he does... and he drives really fast. Not to scare you we were perfectly safe but we got going at least 90 mph in a 45 zone.

Saturday was awesome. we went to the stake football competition where all the wards in the stake put together a team and then compete for the trophy and it was so much fun. we didn't win but we didn't lose ether so that was good we played 9 teams for 8 min games. and the weather was awesome sunny and warm all day long. To have more team unity brother Reid had Real Madrid uniforms for us to wear and keep. they are sweet and really nice ones. then on our way back we got a call from the senior Stobbs asking if we could come and help them with removing a couple of bushes from there back garden. then they fed us dinner and it was really good then we went back and did the rest of our weekly planing.

Sunday was our most normal day this week. we went to church and it was good and then we went back to our flat got changed out of suits and then went and got my bike back from Andrei (I lent my bike to a member for a few weeks because we weren't using them and he needed one to use until he got his pay check to buy his own) and went out to visit a less active named Steven and his mom Mavis and that was good then we did a bit of tracting and this guy yelled out his window at us and said Jesus be with you and we thought we would go and talk to him so we did and he is way cool and we are meeting him on Tuesday his name is Nad.

This week crazy cool stuff is going on we have a mission wide ipad training on Wednesday we thought it was Friday but they changed it or we heard wrong. We don't get them there we will have to order them if we plan to buy our own or to let them know if we plan to let the mission provide them for us.

Love Elder Poll

Email from April 13

For the new mission president I am excited and nervous at the same time. But everything should be good he is called of God so he will do the right thing.

man sound like the house will be pretty empty for a while.

This week was good we had interviews with president on Wednesday and that went really good we had a good chat about stuff. We also got a new door handle after about a month they finally came and fixed it and the one into the bathroom also so that was cool.

We got the chance to do some service this week and that hasn't happened in a while so it was nice we mowed a less active lawn on Thursday with a mower that the only way to describe it is a peace of crap they call it a fly mow it is supposed to use the air caused by the spinning of the blades to make it float but it doesn't really work like that and it just kept getting stuck. I really just wanted to kick it a few times but I didn't.. but I still don't get how it can be a mower without wheels and also it is a plug in so you have to stream a cord out behind you and remember not to mow over it which I almost did a few time just thinking that it was like a vacuum and that nothing would happen. Then we used a weed eater to go around the edges and it reminds me of the electric ones that grandma had but 1/3 the power and the string breaks really easy. But we got it done. Well the front yard anyway we are going back this week to do the back which will take  about 2 hours to do because of how long the grass is and how crappy the mower is. If I had our mower I could do it in about 5 min but I don't so ya.

That has been about it for our week most of our investigators were to busy for us this week or so they said.

We were hoping for a really good week but that didn't go quite according to plans we hope this week will be better.

Also transfers are this Monday so I will keep you posted but basically they changed us all around so president could go and receive training.

but that is pretty much our week not much happened this week

Love you guys and Pray for you a lot

Elder Poll