Well this morning we put up the tree for Christmas and we are helping John set up for our ward Christmas social tonight and on Friday then we will help him take it all down Saturday night after the party.so lots of Christmas trees are in my future. and last week we helped John put up his trees in his house he goes all out for Christmas so it was fun. Thanksgiving was good we has it at Johns with the other elders and I helped him make the pumpkin pie like I always do with you at home mom. and I have to say it was probably one of the best that I have ever had. mostly do to the fact that he home made the pastry and so the crust made the pie taste awesome. We didn't have any whip cream to put on it but that was ok because when we had the pie it was still a bit warm and that actually made it taste even better and I'm not sure weather I like that better or not then with cream. Speaking of Christmas let me know when the package gets there and you can't eat any of it till Christmas eve but there are some cards at the bottom those you can read but don't eat any of it till Christmas eve. And save some for grandma and grandpa when they come for Christmas so I can have all of your guys's opinions on the best stuff. and mom I think the shoe thing is just in Holland or places close over there because its not here as far as I can tell but I have heard of that and we did that in elementary school around Christmas when we talked about Christmas around the world. but I think the traditions here are pretty similar to America as far as I can tell I will let you know as we get closer to Christmas.

 

This week has actually been really good and seemed to go by really fast mostly because we weren't out finding all day and night. we didn't make a lot of progress with teaching new investigators but our friendship with one of the ones that we have and his friend Joe who is less active definetly grew this week. Monday always goes well because it pday. Tuesday I went on exchange to Burton B with our district leader and even though I have been in Burton for a while it was the first good look I got of their area in the day light. The only time that I have been there before was to ride with John to drop them off after coordination or sports and games nights so that was cool. It also made me realize that I am ready to move to a new area because even just spending the day there made me want to go some were new and try some new things so I want to move, but at the same time I want to stay for Christmas. I wish that our transfers were right after Christmas instead or right before but oh well. Oh and on Tuesday I missed out on a dinner at this family in our ward who usually don't make the best food and this week was espesally gross I was told so that was nice. We had a oven frozen pizza intead... yum.  Wednesday we had zone meeting and it was cool they showed us the new video that the church has put out for Christmas and we got some new pass along cards with the birth of Christ on them that we are supposed to use so that was cool. Oh and we did a kind of Christmas gift thing. We all brought flat find gifts and then we pulled names out of a hat and we get to pick one and open it. I kind of cheated because we had to be there early for district leader council so we got to see the Hiltons put there gifts on the table and kind of know what gifts were given by who so when it was my turn I picked one of the Hiltons and as they are leaving on the 10th they were getting rid of some decent stuff so I got a nativity set and some Nesquick chocolate milk stuff which is usually a couple of pounds booya grandma good stuff. On Thursday it was good we haven't really been able to get to know Joe one of our less active members we are working with and he asked us to come play football (soccer) with him on Thursday and so we got to know him a bit better and left a spiritual thought with him at the end. Oh ya and I got a bit of a surprise this week Jonathans sister just got a new puppy and he was able to find a really cheap coach ride up form London so he came up and we spent time talking to him and catching up because it was the last time that I might see him so that was nice. Then we had Thanksgiving with John that night and it was awesome. Friday we had a service project with this Hungarian family that is moving back into our ward. We were helping them get there house all painted and carpeted so they can move in. We have been going there for the past couple of weeks once a week helping them and they are just about to get the carpet down and then they can start to move in. They were in the ward before but had to move for work and now they are back so that's cool. Then we had dinner with the Watsons, an awesome family in the ward and then we had sports night and it went great. We had lots of peoples there and most importantly we had Joe and Sean there and so that was great. Saturday we did a lot of finding and we thought we had a solid guy that was a cage fighter coming to church but he gave us a fake number and didn't show up so darn, but we went buy a less active guy who is not really less active at heart but because of health reason he can't come to church so we went and visited him. He likes the company so we go and talk to him. He usually tells us some stories from (back in the day) when he was younger and it is pretty cool. Then we had games night and that went really well. I was in for a surprise again because Jonathan missed his coach back to London so he stayed and came to game night and to church on Sunday. Sunday we had church and then we went to the Manners for dinner she is American and she made Thanksgiving and it was good for the fact that it was American but I think that Johns food was better, but it was nice to be there and enjoy a more American experience then at Johns. The food back home is definitely  better especially the yams. John didn't make us any because we told him not to worry that we were going to the Manners and she would make them. but she tried to be healthy with them and so they weren't very good but they were American so I can complain.

Tell Macey that I am proud of her for getting baptized and that I'm sad I can be there for it but thanks for the announcement and that a letter is coming but I will be late due to slow mail around Christmas.

 

Love you Elder Poll

Thanksgiving Week

This week hasn't been to bad but at the same time disappointing all of our appointments fell through so we did a lot of finding this week and the weather hasn't been the best.

Our week this week looks pretty good for lessons set up. We have one for tonight with a Latvian women that we met yesterday when we were going around to less actives to invite them to the Christmas social and I guess that the lady that had lived there had moved and this lady answered the door a didn't quite understand us at first until we slowed down and she said that she wasn't the person we were looking for but we told her that we would love to come and talk with here about our church and that we had some material in Latvian and that sparked her interest and so we are going back there tonight. 

We also have a few other appointments for latter this week pray they don't fall through. we also have games night this week which will be good for us to invite people that we meet to. The last one went pretty well so we are hopeful that this one will go at least as well. We also have another zone meeting on Wednesday about this new campaign the church is doing with Christmas so we are getting some training on that so that will be good.

I got your package and I was happy to see the advent calendars and a bit sad that the tree thing that you sent to both Ben and Chelsie with notes from the family for all the days of Christmas wasn't in there but thats okay.

The package I am sending you is actually not me sending it John offerd to send a package to our families for us and we told him that we were good but he insisted so don't wory about the money the stuff in it wasn't all that expensive and I'm not paying the shipping. We haven't heard about our special Christmas rules yet I imagine that they will come on Wednesday at zone meeting and hopefully they will also tell us if we are having Christmas conference and when that will be.

The German market was cool but I didn't get anything. There was stuff like at a state fair cool looking but nothing you really need. and nothing that I really want to hall around for two years before I come home. The only thing that really got me was this cool nativity set but John said that if I still wanted one I could probably find one on line after the mission.  Transfers are on the 17th of December and I think I will probably move. to be honest except the move right before Christmas thing I think that it would be nice to see another area.

I love John because he is cooking us Thanksgiving on Thursday then we have it again with an American member on sunday so it will be good.

Love you tons mom and tell every one that I love them and I will figure out the Christmas stuff on Wednesday.

 

 

Love Elder Poll

So this week has been pretty good we have found some new investigators and we had a lot of dinner appointments thanks to Elder Bolingbroke. I had heard from other missionaries that he wasn't much of a worker but I think that it just depends on his companion because he has been doing pretty good with me so far we will see how it goes after we get more comfortable with each other if he starts to get less obedient as time goes by.

I'm not sure were I will be then we have transfers right before Christmas and I am pretty sure that I will be moving now because Elder Bolingbroke only has 3 transfers lest after this one so he will probably train next transfer. 

So we have some new potential investigators but nothing solid at the moment but I am hoping that with the new potentials that we are finding that at least one of them will be solid. We also started a games night on Saturday nights that we can invite people to for them to get to know the ward  in a setting that isn't just church and it seemed to go really well. We had planned it for every other week but we may move it to every week, It is probably the best thing that we could be doing at that time of night because nobody is out in town and we get yelled at by people for knocking doors that late so unless we have a lesson it's the best use of our time.  Today we are going to the German market in Birmingham and I have heard that it is really cool and lots of little shops that sell cool stuff.

We have some appointments set up this week with some of our potential investigators and I am excited to see where that will go hopefully we can started doing more teaching.

 Give my regards to the Galbraiths. and I hope that things with the new bishopric and stake presidency go well.

 

 

Love and prayers

Elder Blake Poll

Transfers

So this week has been good we didn't get a chance to teach Luke and Alice on Monday they canceled again and we didn't know why but we called them Friday and they said that they have been in and out of the hospital with there 2 month old daughter so we can understand. Since jonathan was up we had dinner with him and talked for a bit with him then did a bit of finding. then we went back to the flat to wait for our dodge call (our call to tell us about transfers) and they told us that Montague was moving to Litchfield and that I was getting elder Bolingbroke as my new companion. He is from Reno Nevada he has been out 18 months. any way Tuesday was for elder Montague to say his goodbyes to the ward and get packed for most of the day then we had dinner with john on wedsday we got all of his and Elder Smart, the other elder in our ward moving as well stuff to the mission home and then switched and made our way back. On our way back we did get in a bit of a hitch with the trains in getting all of there stuff on because the trains were really packed so we had to wait for like two trains that were going our way before there was room enough to get there stuff on.

 

We came back and droped elder Bolingbroke's stuff off and went out finding.

Thursday we did some finding in the morning then had district meeting at Litchfield ( that's right elder Montague only moved down the road about a half hour) then we came back and went by some less actives and then went to coordination meeting.

Friday I had the dentist then we came back and had weekly planning and then went out to see a less active that we had an appointment with but it was quite a hike to get there in the rain and cold out to the edge of our area. then we came back and had dinner.

Saturday we did some finding in the rain had lunch then went by some less actives and luckily the weather cleared up we had dinner and then went to sports night at the chapel.

Sunday we had church did some finding and then had dinner with john and that's been the week.

In our finding just in the last couple of days we have been able to set up a few appointments with some new potential investigators.

Love you, 

Elder Poll

Been a busy couple of weeks so a little behind but here are Elder Polls posts for the last couple of weeks.

 So because this could be elder montages last week here Jonathan came up from London to say good bye and stuff and so we had him up and that was awesome. We don't know for sure about transfers we get a call tonight letting us know who all is staying and going so we will see. if I go I will get to send a small email tomorrow to tell you where I am going. Jonathan is doing good and is really happy with the ward that he is going to it is the only single adult ward in all of England and it is pretty big and we got him set up with a good set of elders down there so its good.

 I will admit I am nervous for transfers and a bit excited but mostly nervous because I'm comfortable where I am but I also want to try new things

We are trying to set up something with Peter an Lizzie for late this week. and the couple we have a lesson set up with for just about every Monday night that canceled on us last week is Luke and Alice they haven't cancelled on us yet today but we will see. that is about all of our investigators at the moment but we do finding just about every day so hopefully we should get some new investigators soon.

 

but I will admit I am nervous for transfers and a bit excited but mostly nervous because I'm comfortable where I am but I also want to try new things 

 

So Luke and Alice are a young couple that we got a referral for from the other elders in the ward. The Elders were calling there former investigators and found that they were interested in having them come by but that they had moved in to our area so they passed them on to us. the last set of elders that they had over though were lets just put it this way... they weren't out on a mission for the right reasons. and they got the wrong Impression of us and so we need to set that right before we can start to really teach them. but they seem cool and they have a 8 week old daughter.

Peter and Lizzie are cool and they like us and are cool with talking to us but they haven't got the right impression of why we are there either so we need to get that sorted then we can teach them more but they seem to like what they know of the church thus far and said that when I get home they want me to take them on a tour of Utah because they have always wanted to go there but didn't know anybody from the states that live that far west.(and chelse he is way into camo and browning last time we were there he was wearing browning camo it was funny but I didn't get a chance to bring up that you work there)

 

With reference to Christmas it weird there are already Christmas lights going up all over town center but they haven't turned them on yet. but they don't have thanks giving here so the next big holiday that they have is Christmas so people are already talking about it and have all of there presents bought and wrapped. no one has trees up yet but I don't think that it will be long before they do go up. Christmas is going to be weird this year.

I love you and Pray for you

Love Elder Poll

So this week has been pretty uneventful the lesson that we had for Monday night cancelled on us then on Thursday I went on exchange to Cannock with the district leader and we went and taught some people that live in an assisted living center and they are both pretty old and not all there but it was good to see and I will tell you the ones that we have back in the states are nicer than the one I've been to here. Wednesday we had district meeting and switched back then on Thursday we did lots of finding and stopping by some less actives and some formers with no success although we did have the interesting experience of finding out that the ward list that we had is old or that no one bothered to remove or find out about a Laddie that died 10 years ago was still on the list. Friday we spent most of the day on the bus going to and from my dentist appointment. It shouldn't have taken that long but the appointment time I had made us have to be either an hour early or be late and that on the way back the bus was late by an hour and then there was crazy traffic all the way back. then we had dinner with John and had our ward sports night. Saturday we did lots of finding then we had dinner and a sort of lesson with Peter and Lizzie and we got the feeling that they were open to talk but that the lesson wasn't what they really wanted but we are going to continue to try. Sunday we had church and then we did some tracting and then we had dinner with john again and we talked with him for a while because on Sunday we have call ins at 6:30 so we either have to be in our flat or at a members house after that so we stayed and talked with john.

On a bad note on district pday I got hit in the face with the ball and my glasses got a little bent and the lens popped out I am trying to get them fixed here but I will let you know because if not they are the Oakley's that I broke last time and I think they still are covered by the insurance and I may have to send them back to you to have them fixed but I will let you know, if you will look into if they are still covered or not that would be great.

 

So transfers are on the 5th of November and I will probably stay in Burton but Elder Montague has been here for six months and we have already been 2 transfers together so we are both guessing that he will leave but that is no guarantee.  About half of our district will probably change as well and it is kind of stressing me out a bit because I just go used to mission life (well as much as can be expected for being out for 3 months)  and now the whole district has the potential to change completely so I'm a bit nervous about most specifically my new companion and looking out a bit further the whole district.

 

 

Love you and Pray for you always

your favorite elder

Elder Poll

so this week not much excitement but we have a few new investigators one that the other Elders in our ward gave us because they were framers and they called them up and they had moved to our area and were interested in us coming by so on Tuesday we had a lesson with them and then the rest of our week has been pretty normal we have transfers on the 5th of November and the 17th of December I will probably be stay for at leat one more and then I might go but I'm not sure on that. We have 8 in our district all elders we have 4 sisters in our whole zone. I will up date you when we get back about everything else because we have to go back to Burton because we have been in Lichfeild so update you later.

I don't know the Merril girl but the elders in my district know her she should be coming home soon is what they said. they also say that she is awesome. well some bad news though for today from between the time that I last emailed and now our appointment for today cancelled so that stinks but we will get through though

Love Elder Poll