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