Last week of Feburary

Congratulate Emma on her baptism for me I will try to send a card I just really am rubbish at remembering stuff like that I have been meaning to send you guys letters for about 3 weeks and I bought stamps i just haven't written the letters don't worry they will come.

That's cool to hear about Carina I just wish that I could find a way to say thank you to the face book missionaries for giving us the referral. We finally have a referral that I am confident will get baptized. He has such a desire to know the truth it's awesome, and he reads the book of Mormon every night. We didn't even have to invite him to he just did. It is so cool. we thought that it might be bad that he was reading so fast that he might not get the spiritual aspect of it, but then he asked us some really good questions about the tree of life and what he thought all of it meant and he was spot on for most of it it was really exciting. Will you ask if it was the England Birmingham mission that she gave the referral to. It sounds like a referral story that I have heard from one of the other missionaries. They said that all they did was go back over everything give him a baptismal interview and then baptized him.

The sign language that i am learning wont do me much good in America because the British and American sign languages are so different that nothing carries over and as a matter of fact I have heard some of the signs here are offensive  and swear words in America.

This week has been pretty great we had a lesson with a guy named from Vietnam and was a doctor in Japan, then he quit his job so that he could come to the UK and study nutrition to see if he could find something that could help his patients more because he had seen some die and that made him really sad He was wondering if we could help God help his patients and so we taught him about prayer and the Book of Mormon and he seemed to take it well. That was Monday, Tuesday we spent the whole day at zone conference in Wales and that was cool I got to see a lot of mission friends that I hadn't seen since the mtc or from previous transfers that had moved so that was cool. that's when I meat Elder S. I also got to see Elder K who was like my best friend in the mtc and so that was cool. The best part is he is from Kaysville Utah so really close by and so will see each other after the mission and hang out.

Wednesday we had a lesson with A and it went great we taught him the restoration and then we invited him to games night that we were having that evening. We had pancakes, British ones just so you know they are a cross between ours and a crepe and they are really good they reminds me of our rolled up ones but they taste way better. In my next package I might have to send you a mix for them. The mix is not as good as the real thing but not to far off the real thing. Wednesday we went to our lesson and had dinner with A so that was really good. On Friday we taught a lesson again and then had coordination and dinner with the N's. Then we had to rush back for our lesson with R and we missed our train so we were late so we kept our lesson short but it was good. R is so awesome but he his getting discouraged because he doesn't understand English very well so his progress is slowing but I think he will pull through. Saturday was a bit of a slow day for us but we put our trust in the Lord because all of our lessons cancelled so we did a lot of finding. and Sunday we had a great time at church A came with us and that was really good and then we went by some former investigators because we received a challenge to go by at least one former a day for the next two weeks and see if that will increase our teaching pool. That was our week.

It was really good and really busy except for Saturday but then we made it busy so a really good week. If all of our appointment had kept we would have taught about 13 lessons which is really good for our area.

Love and prayers Elder Poll

February 16

Sounds like the normal stuff is happening at home. We have zone conference tomorrow and our train is at 5:59 so that mean waking up at 5 to get there in time and that is a killer on sleep.  As for Megan and closing the doors I think that she would like English doors most of the doors in peoples houses have a chain spring on them that close the doors automatically but all the ones at our flat we have disabled because we don't like them. 

Well this week has been pretty awesome!!! Tuesday we had a dinner with Anthony and sign language lesson. I learned how to do the sacrament prayers in sign. It is really cool. I can also pray now in sign as long as I keep it short. We also had coordination on Tuesday and that was good we were able to update our ward mission leader and he also gave us some insight into the ward and what we can do to help things go better. 

We had zone meeting on Wednesday. We also had a lesson with Rory then we had games night. After zone meeting we went on exchange and I stayed in Worcester and Elder Devitt went to Gloucester and so I was with Elder Woodland one of our zone leaders for the rest of the night and Thursday morning. 

Thursday morning was good we did a lot of finding  When we exchanged back the other elders brought me a new bed frame that they had at there flat for me that they had picked up from the mission home so we still need to get that put together then I will have a new bed frame that will be nice. Right after we exchanged back we went to our lesson with Tony, Anthony's friend and that lesson went really well I felt like I could finally get my point across with the amount of sign that I know and bear him my testimony. We had a DA with the Maclaverties and that was really cool there son is about the same age as Katie and Megan and also has some mental disabilities so we were able to get on really well, and there son Luke is really cool. 

Friday we went to Cheltenham and then Elder D left for his meeting and I stayed there with Elder S, he is from Idaho and we taught a few of there investigators and did some finding there. then we got the last train back to Worcester and went straight to our lessons in Malvern with P and then back to Worcester with R so it was a crazy and cool day. P is finally making some really good progress which we are really excited for. 

Saturday we had weekly planning and then went to our lesson with this guy who stopped us on the street and said "can you and God help me quit being an alcoholic" When we got there he was drunk and had friends over and had gone into the hospital the day before and some of his friends weren't to nice to us and he could see that. He was really humble and asked us if we could come back another time so we are going over there tonight. After we went there we went to go and find the new referral that we got and he wasn't home and we also went and visited some less active members and finish our AUF's which stands for "address unknown file". Somehow the church has found people they think are members that moved and didn't transfer their records so they send us out to confirm and most are right and some are not. Most are super less active and want nothing to do with the church so we get yelled at a lot of the time but we finished those and then went back for dinner. 

Sunday was awesome we had most of our investigators at church and so we were so excited. T was there with A because A's home teachers invited him to there sons baptism that was after church. T was able to be there with A because he had work off and he also has next Sunday off and so he should be at church next Sunday as well. We also walked there with Rory from his house in town and then our referral was there waiting for us on the couch and it was a miracle!!! He is super cool. He found Mormon.org some how and got on Facebook with some missionaries and it was awesome. They invited him to church and they even sent him a video of what to wear so that was cool we have a lesson with him on Wednesday so that should be awesome. And we had a baptism after church which they all stayed for and they all really liked it so that was great. Then we went home changed and did some finding until it was time to come in for call ins so ya that was the week. 

It's crazy we already have 10 lessons set up this week and we haven't even set return appointments with some that we teach twice a week so we are looking at a epic week. I am super excited. Also we have zone conference tomorrow and I get to see lots of the missionaries that I was in the MTC with and I am super pumped for that. So a great week in the making.

I love you all and pray for you with all my heart

Elder Blake Poll

February 9

 

This week was pretty good we had some fun stuff. Tuesday we had dinner with a less active member and it was so good and then we went to a elders quourm activity and we brought our investigator Rory. Dad you will like this he speaks Japanese, though he is Chinese. Anyway the activity was great and we laughed so hard and we really bonded with Rory on the way back talking about just about anything. Now I think that he see's us as more that just religious teachers and more like his friends so that was good. Wednesday we had a lesson with a family of investigators that we haven't been able to get into contact with in a while, but it was right before our games night so we took the bikes. They live on a massive hill so we walked the bike up because we weren't in a hurry to get there but needed to get from there house to the church in under 20 minuets which the walking distance is about 1and 1/2 hour walk so we got going scary fast down that hill and we made it there in record time we were only late by about 5 minuets. But man did we go fast. games night was pretty good, the sisters here have and investigator named Andrei on date for baptism as well and he is awesome. It feels like he is a member already and he hangs out with one of the members here all the time and so things were great. We got to know him better as well. then on Thursday we had district meeting and that was fun it's always fun when you get a group of missionary's together. Speaking of that we have zone meeting this week which I am excited for. any way after district meeting I went on exchange to Evesham with Elder Clarke, he is from new Zealand and he is awesome we had a great time we ate at a members house. The house was massive for England and it was really old. Still the same building from like 2 or 3 hundred years ago. So that was cool. Then it was a bit weird the Evesham elders volunteer at a charity shop on Friday mornings so I got to go do that and we worked the till. The till was the same make and design as the one that was at Steph's so it was weird for me. We came and switched back and then we went to a lesson. We missed our train because we were running late and didn't get back to our apartment till just before we were supposed to come in for the night so we had to reschedule our other lesson for Saturday. It was probably better that way. because we were able to meet up with the sisters and get a Chinese book of Mormon from them to give to Rory. We also had dinner with a couple of members and it was really good she is from Portugal and so the food was different and really good but they changed the time on us and so it was like having a second lunch so we weren't able to eat as much as we would have normally because we were just so stuffed. Later we had our lesson with Rory and taught him the plan of salvation and he really liked it and drank in the information so that was cool. Sunday we had church and were finally able to meet with Liam and invite him to church and he said that he couldn't come this next week but the week after. Later we went and visited with some less actives. That was the week.

Love you and Have a great week and know that you are always in my prayers
Elder Poll

We've Been Out 6 Months!!!

So this week we have been loads better no more sickness and I have been our 6 months now officially, we went over to a members on Friday and me and elder D both burned stuff. I burned a tie (and before you worry it was a really crappy one with the threads frayed on it every time I wear it) and it was elder Ds 18 month mark so he burned trousers. I have a video but I can't load it on because I am out of room so I will send it to you as soon as you can get that stuff taken off for me. But this week has been pretty great we did not get transferred so it is still me and Elder D but Sister S got moved which was kind of sad and weird it was kind of like seeing Dani leave again because I just kind of associated them together in my mind for some reason and combined with Sister M they have a lot of the talents that Dani has like the fun loving ness and Sister M can play the piano really good. Interesting but cool thing, sister Mo that just came to take her place is from Germany and her sister lives in Dani's mission but I'm not sure which city. Tuesday we had a really good lesson with our investigator Rory and on Wednesday we had game night and Rory came and it was really good he had fun and then on Thursday all of our lessons kind of fell through from people being sick so we did some Less Active stop bys and we actually got to go in and talk with quite a few. We are hoping to establish a good friendship then work in getting them back to church. Then we had planed to have dinner with the Ns but they had to reschedule for Friday which worked out better for us so we cooked our own dinner then did some street contacting. Friday we did more LA stop bys and had less success but that's okay then we had dinner with the Ns and we burned our stuff and it was great. Time is a mystery that I will never understand I think it feels so fast at times and so slow at others but such is time and we can't control it.

Saturday we had a lesson with R who really likes meeting with us and we put him on a baptismal date for the 14th of March so that was exciting and he came to church with us yesterday and it was awesome he is Chinese and his English isn't amazing but it is good for him only having been here for 7 months and no previous English classes. So his understanding at church probably wasn't great but he felt the spirit that is for sure and he shared with us during our ysa lesson that he really likes praying so that was cool. He is coming to our elders quorum activity tomorrow and we are going to teach him a lesson after so it should be good.

Love you and pray for you always have a great week.

Love Elder Poll

Januany 26

So family this week has really was bad to be honest we spent most of it stuck in our flat because we were sick with the flu so it was really boring. Monday when we were emailing I started to feel a bit weird but not to bad then we went up to a members to have dinner I started to get the shivers really bad then we went to a appointment with a investigator and his friend and they were both high and one was drunk and they had just finished smoking when we get there and so the room was full of smoke and that sucked and didn't help me feel any better and neither of them was really paying attention so we finished up quickly and left and I just proceeded to not feel very good. Tuesday neither of us was feeling all that great so we took things easy Tuesday but we had two appointments that we couldn't really miss and both turned out really well so we were glad that we made it to them. Tuesday night it just hit us we were both just so tiried and had massive head aches and lots of trips to the bathroom. and so that night we called sister Rasmussen and she told us that the best thing that we could do for us and for the sake of those around us was to stay inside get lots of rest and eat bland food so for the next three days the only contact we had from the outside world was the sister coming to drop us off roman noodles and us making a very painful and tiring trip to a boots pharmacy to get some pepto bismal the only communication with the outside world came through our phone. We had to cancel all of our appointments and stuff and stay inside. Luckily for us we started to feel better a bit on Friday night and then by Saturday we felt a lot better so that afternoon we were able to go out and do some missionary work. Sunday was really disappointing we were hoping to have an investigator there but we had to cancel our appointment with him and we weren't able to get into contact with him at all to remind him of church we called and texted and got no replies and so he didn't come. but that's okay. then in sacrament meeting I gave a talk on acting on promptings it went really well and I was able to get the whole thing out without really getting that nervous. the worst part was that I was the first speaker so I had just blessed the sacrament and moved over to my seat on the stand and then got right back up and gave my talk but I had whole week stuck in the flat to prepare the talk so it was really good. then we were able to have dinner with a elderly couple in our ward and it was really good then we went up to see an investigator that we haven't been able to get into contact with since before I got to the area and we had a good chat with them and we are hoping to be able to meet with them soon and start teaching them again. Then we talked to some people in the street and then came back to our flat for call ins then went to bed. Then today was really good we had district pday and we went to this bowling alley and it was really fun I hadn't done bowling in a long time and it was fun to get together with the whole district and have fun since tonight we get our call on whether we move or not and what is happening with transfers so some of us may not be here next transfer.

Speaking of transfers I don't think that we will be moving but I really don't know but both of us haven't been here for long so I think we will both stay one more transfer then he will go then me but only the Lord really knows.

Love Blake