Blake - Birmingham England Mission

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