Blake - Birmingham England Mission

 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