Got to meet Elder Holland...Awesome!!!

So this week has been crazy but good we had exchanges and also our over nigher in Cardiff so we could go to our meeting with Elder Holland on Thursday. by the way that meeting was awesome I made a voice recording about it it is on dropbox. Also Monday we went to a mine shaft and got to tour that and it was awesome we went a mile under the ground and it was so cool and there are pictures of that on drop box but they wouldn't let us take pictures in the mine for fear of static that could spark an explosion. honestly most of our week is on the voice recording.

Also we went this morning to get Elder B a new suit with some members because Elder B didn't have a suit so the members wanted to get him one and it is really nice. I was really happy for him. The new bike is awesome. Thanks for the scripture about the jw's we see them almost every day and people get us confused with them. About every day people go past us and yell bible bashers and stuff but its alright.

We have a new investigator his name is Michael we met him while we were street contacting in Pontypool but we didn't think it would go anywhere. Then out of the blue he text us and asked if we could meet so we did and it is going well. He might have some concerns about the word of wisdom but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

That's about it for this week love you guys and listen to the voice recording so you can get the rest of the week stuff

Love and prayers Elder Poll

So we listened to the voice recording and he talked about how great the message that Elder Holland gave was. He said that they got there a little early so the got a really good seat. They were on the 3rd row so they could even see him spit. He said it felt like Elder Holland was talking directly to him. 

Before the meeting he and each missionary was able to shake his hand. They got to tell him there name and where they were from. When Elder Poll told him his name and where he was from he asked if he was Bob Poll's grandson. (Apparently Bob was in the same mission with him and they were in the mission office together and traveled around the mission quite a bit together.) Anyway he was excited Elder Holland told them that as he was shaking their hands he was conducting a personal interview with each of them. He told them that usually he has to give the obedience talk. But he felt after talking to each one that he was able to give a different talk and he gave them a great one on the Atonement.  Elder Holland was there with a couple of area seventy's and they spoke for a few min. And Blake said that while they were speaking that you could watch Elder Holland almost like he was receiving revelation right there about what to speak about. He was very impressed and it was the best meeting he has ever been to.

I Broke My Bike

I broke my bike and so i need to buy a new one today. It was sad we were biking this last week and i broke my back tire and messed up all the gears. and now it will cost more for me to fix my bike that to just get a new one. but I am not going to make the same mistake that i made on the last one i am going to spend more and get one that won't give me problems. I have had it  for about 10 months but in my first two areas i didn't really use it and now I came here and use it every day and I broke it in a week and then I payed a bit to fix it the first time and then it broke worse and now I need a new bike. I also tried to talk to some of the missionaries going home and most of them don't have bikes or have broken them or they are about to brake so I thought well that stinks. i wish i had the bike i left bike home it is nice and doesn't brake and its a good brand and it is easy to fix and my bike here is none of those.

Other than the bike thing the only real excitement was that Elder Holland did come to Scotland and they broadcast that to the whole uk Ireland and Scandinavia and he is still coming to talk to us on Thursday. man I am so excited and his talk on Sunday was so cool he talked about the book of Mormon and how important it is and it was just so powerful he did a pulpit slam with his book of Mormon and it was awesome. Oh we had zone meeting and I got to see some of the kids from my group that were in the mtc with me and it was really cool they are still the awesome guys that I remember. and kind of funny one of them is actually serving in the same ward as me here in Cwbrawn. 

so to explain the tripanionship thing. it was because there were extra missionaries but also I feel like now that it was a blessing to get here early so that elder s could show me around so i could learn the area because elder B doesn't really know the area because he had only been here 4 weeks and he is not good with directions and reading maps and stuff. so I know my way around the area as good or better than elder B. but that's okay he is a cool guy. 

Man I missed Alma camp dang I love that place it was such a good preparation for the mission and it really helped me to learn and recognize when I was feeling the spirit.

As for investigators we don't really have any right now so could you just pray that we might find some people and that they will keep there appointments. We have been challenged to get 2 new investigators before Elder Holland speaks to us and we are currently and 0 so your prayers would be much appreciated.

Man it sounds like you guys have a lot of projects going. we have a few here ourselves. There are a few members that live not to far from us that are elderly and so they need a bit of help with there back yards. Can I just say the i miss gas powered tools that are so much more powerful and get the job done way quicker. and also I am glad we don't have any Japanese knot weed in our yard. we were helping a member try to remove some this week and it is worse than thistle not as pokey but it takes over everything and is near impossible to get rid of.

Speaking of president packer I met his grandson he is serving in Burton my first area and he is way cool he goes home at the end of this transfer with Elder D and Elder M.

also exciting this week we are going on exchange with the Newport elders but i will be staying here so I hope i don't get us to lost. 

That's about it for this week I love you guys 

Elder Poll

 No more Tripanionship

So this week has been interesting we were still in a tripanionship
until Wednesday and we got the call on Monday on who was leaving and
who is staying so now it is just me and Elder B and things are
good we have had to start from scratch with investigators because when
I got here we had none. We have two now and maybe three after tonight.
Our flat is nice and it has carpet which I have missed for the last 6
months but in my mind the down side to our area is that everything is
so far apart and far away from us so we have to bike 30 min any
direction to do any real missionary work but it's okay my leg muscles
are getting massive like they are tight inside my trousers so that's
cool. It was nice overlapping with Elder S for a week though so
that he could teach me the area because Elder B doesn't really
know the area. He has been here 4 weeks and this is his second area so
he is still getting used to having to learn the area fast so I got a
week to learn how to get everywhere. I think I have it all stored
in my head. Oh and thanks for the update on everything back home.

I hope you are all well wish my best to everyone tell them I miss and love them I have to go

Lone you so much 

Elder poll

 Not much time!!!

So we don't have any time to email this week so just a quick update. My companions are elders from Samoa and from the Philipines and things are really good here. Our area is all hills and so we bike a lot and so my legs are getting really big. Also exciting news they gave us our ipads on Thursday but we are not authorized to use them yet not sure when we will get that permission so right now they are just sitting on our table at our flat. Wales is great and just so you know i have met a family from our ward and they are so awesome and I like them a lot already and they already want to come and visit me when I get home. Well that's about all I have time for sorry, bank holiday so we have to take turns on the computer at the chapel and there are seven of us that need to use it because we are having a district pday. So ya, have a great week and I will send you guys pictures and stuff next week.

Love you Elder Poll

Going to Wales!!!

 Monday we got flogged/canceled on so we didn't get to teach Maria so we went to go see a less active and he wasn't home and that was our night. On Monday we hiked the Malvern hills.

Tuesday we went to visit a less active member and then we had dinner with the booths. Then we finally got in to meet with Stefan and it was good but he might not have been all there for the lesson but we left him a Book of Mormon and told him to pray and read and we are going to see him tomorrow night. 

Wednesday we did some finding and then we went and tackled some more of Angies lawn and got a good start on it. Then we went to Malvern to see Antony and then we went to games night and it was awesome

Thursday we had zone meeting then we had a lesson with Tony and then we stopped by the Nolans to see if they could help us out for signing on Saturday because Tony and Antony were going to come to Saturday night conference.

Saturday we went and attacked more of Angies lawn and we are almost there just one more time should do it. then we met with Arran and talked for a bit then we met up with bishop and went to stake conference in Cheltenham. then on Sunday we had conference and then we went an visited some less active members and some other investigators and also a cool old member who lives in the area he is one of those funny old guys that just jokes about the fact that he is old and he has all of his wits about him so it's fun to go see him.

 

K so weird transfer stuff we just got a call telling us that elder Kerr is training this Wednesday and I am moving to a place in Wales called Cumbrawan that is probably not how you spell it but ya and I will be in a tripanionship so it should be an interesting week and I will let you know next Tuesday how it goes.                 

 

I love you guys and I will let you know what happens with my tripanionship next week and how things go there. 

Elder Poll

Just a normal week

Monday was just the normal.

Tuesday we met with nad a cool guy that we tracted into last Sunday and it was not quite what we were expecting. He said that he works at the mechanic shop next door to his house and that he could just take a break and talk to us for a while then go back to work. We thought that would be good so we set an appointment for 2. When we went by and he was busy at work and he came out to talk to us for a minute just long enough to tell us that he was busy and asked if we could reschedule for another day so we set up an appointment with him for Thursday. We went from there to Malvern and tried to see Patrician and see if she was feeling better and if we could set up another appointment. but she wasn't home so then we went to Antonys for dinner and it was way good we had gammen again :)  I love that stuff. then back to Worcester to grabbed our stuff and caught a train to Gloucester for the night. because we got permission to stay the night there for a mission wide meeting so we didn't have to get up super early. So ya we stayed the night there couch surfing and then we were supposed to catch a ride with the zone leaders to the meeting but one of the other teams in our zone missed there train so they had to go and pick them up. So we walked through the pouring rain for 20 min in nothing but suits and white shirts and we got drenched. After our walk to the train station where the coach would pick us up we got on and met up with the other missionaries on the coach and road for 2 hours to the meeting at Harbourne chapel in Birmingham. the meeting was good not quite as good and Dani's because no Elder Bednar but it was still really good and got us all hiped for the new tools that will be available to us next week. Also we read the thing on our missionary portals and it said that we would be required as a missionary for the states to pay for an ipad up front and then I can take it home with me or I think get the money back at the end or something like that. They are supposed to contact you through the bishop and get it sorted out. Let me know what you hear. After the meeting we did ride with the zone leaders back to Worcester because it was on there way back so they just dropped us off right at out flat no return train journey on a coach or train for us it was really nice, and also it made it so we were on time for games night. Thursday we had Tony and the Nolan's in Malvern so we did a bit of work around Worcester then popped off to Malvern. oh and we also went and saw Scarlet, we talked to her about prayer and the power of it and that even if she doesn't feel like she is talking to anyone that God is listening. And we taught Tonly about the ten commandments and covered a bit of the law of chastity. (can I just tell you that as a 19 year old teaching grown men about the loc it is weird)

Friday we went and helped Arron with some family history in the morning and then we got some lunch and went to go see Nad and he was busy again and at that point we thought he was just trying to be nice but also wanted us to go away but he came out and apologized and said that it was supposed to be his day off but that he had gotten called in so he said that he could meet on Saturday so we were a bit frustrated. Then we went and saw Allen a cool less active guy that had a weight issues that prevents him form coming to church very often.

Saturday we went to see Nad and he had to reschedule again... can you feel my frustration through the screen but we met with him that night and it was an okay lesson. then we went to visit sister McDonald and she was really cool.  then went back to meet with Arran and then Nad

Sunday was really good except for church which is usually the highlight of the day but I was a bit scared honestly. There was a verbal argument in elders qorum and it worried me. Sunday school was fine then in sacrament it was a good start I taught and helped Arran to bless the sacrament that was really cool. then the testimonies started and one was just so bad the bishop asked him to stop and sit down. later though we met with Liam and Ben and they were both really cool so a good end to the day.

I have a challenge for all of you to update or create Mormon.org profiles if you don't know what that is search it a lds.org

Well that's about it I love you guys.

Love and prayers Elder Poll

Getting caught up!!

So today I am going to try and get Elder Poll's blog caught up. We have been out of town for a couple of weeks and I am just getting myself caught up so that I can get onto the blog and update.


Email from April 27

Here is the in depth version. Not for those of the faint of heart. undertake at your own risk. the awesomeness could kill you.

Monday transfers and elder Kerr is now serving with me here and we did some finding and got him all un- packed. It was the second most normal days of our week, but we met this guy named Issac who is a Christian but he looks Muslim. When we stopped him to talk he completely surprised us. We are meeting with him later this week. and on our walk about talking to people this guy needed some help to push his car off the road because he had run out of gas

Tuesday was awesome because it was pday and pday is always awesome and then we had dinner with Antony and we had gammon which is really good ham to put it in the easeyes to explain. and then he taught e

Elder Kerr and me some signs mostly just reviewed the basics and some church signs. then we left and went to do some street contacting and we met this guy named siril who also looked muslin but he was Christian (i really need to stop guessing by the color of peoples skin). We are meeting with him later this week also. 

Wednesday we had coordination in the morning with our ward mission leader. then we ran back and got some lunch and then changed and went to help a less active mow her lawn and it was crazy long and she has the most crap of mowers you can get even for England where most mowers are electric. but hers was awful. but anyway we had about 2 hours that we could spend there mowing he lawn and we thought that would be enough but time to get it done but we under estimated the crapyness of the mower and the length of the grass and so we only got about half done. We went back to our flat to get some dinner and change into shirts and ties, and bishop called us and asked if we could help a member move into there new house from there old one. Then we walked with Arran down to games night. we played some ping pong and some basketball then we taught everyone how to play scum and we played 4 or 5 rounds of that and it was really fun. then we got back and planed and went to bed because we were really tired. 

Thursday we spent almost the whole day helping member move all of his stuff from his storage unit to there new house. he had a lot of heavy stuff and that took us form 9 till about 4 then we rushed back to the flat and changed into S and T to go teach Tony in Malvern. Bishop dropped us off and the lesson went really good. then we hadn't heard from the Nolan's whether we were coming over for dinner or not, but since Elder Kerr was new we thought we would go over and introduce him even if we weren't having dinner with them. They hadn't planned on us but we got talking and Elder Kerr was telling them about himself and Vegas and they were about to start cooking dinner and so they just through some more in for us.

Friday was our third most normal day. we had district meeting and went to go see Allen a less active member and on our way we ran into the same guy form Monday who had run out of gas because he was out again. so we helped him out and pushed him onto the side of the road. then we taught him about the church because it could not have been a coincidence that we saw and helped him again. then we saw Allen. He is a cool guy, then we went and had dinner with the Stobbs and it was really good. then brother Stobbs who usually gives us a ride back to our flat had to go to young men, so he couldn't so brother Stones who they had over for dinner gave us a ride home. He is a cool guy, he was in the British special forces now has a spinal injury that makes him have to use crutches so we were not really sure how he drives but he does... and he drives really fast. Not to scare you we were perfectly safe but we got going at least 90 mph in a 45 zone.

Saturday was awesome. we went to the stake football competition where all the wards in the stake put together a team and then compete for the trophy and it was so much fun. we didn't win but we didn't lose ether so that was good we played 9 teams for 8 min games. and the weather was awesome sunny and warm all day long. To have more team unity brother Reid had Real Madrid uniforms for us to wear and keep. they are sweet and really nice ones. then on our way back we got a call from the senior Stobbs asking if we could come and help them with removing a couple of bushes from there back garden. then they fed us dinner and it was really good then we went back and did the rest of our weekly planing.

Sunday was our most normal day this week. we went to church and it was good and then we went back to our flat got changed out of suits and then went and got my bike back from Andrei (I lent my bike to a member for a few weeks because we weren't using them and he needed one to use until he got his pay check to buy his own) and went out to visit a less active named Steven and his mom Mavis and that was good then we did a bit of tracting and this guy yelled out his window at us and said Jesus be with you and we thought we would go and talk to him so we did and he is way cool and we are meeting him on Tuesday his name is Nad.

This week crazy cool stuff is going on we have a mission wide ipad training on Wednesday we thought it was Friday but they changed it or we heard wrong. We don't get them there we will have to order them if we plan to buy our own or to let them know if we plan to let the mission provide them for us.

Love Elder Poll

Email from April 13

For the new mission president I am excited and nervous at the same time. But everything should be good he is called of God so he will do the right thing.

man sound like the house will be pretty empty for a while.

This week was good we had interviews with president on Wednesday and that went really good we had a good chat about stuff. We also got a new door handle after about a month they finally came and fixed it and the one into the bathroom also so that was cool.

We got the chance to do some service this week and that hasn't happened in a while so it was nice we mowed a less active lawn on Thursday with a mower that the only way to describe it is a peace of crap they call it a fly mow it is supposed to use the air caused by the spinning of the blades to make it float but it doesn't really work like that and it just kept getting stuck. I really just wanted to kick it a few times but I didn't.. but I still don't get how it can be a mower without wheels and also it is a plug in so you have to stream a cord out behind you and remember not to mow over it which I almost did a few time just thinking that it was like a vacuum and that nothing would happen. Then we used a weed eater to go around the edges and it reminds me of the electric ones that grandma had but 1/3 the power and the string breaks really easy. But we got it done. Well the front yard anyway we are going back this week to do the back which will take  about 2 hours to do because of how long the grass is and how crappy the mower is. If I had our mower I could do it in about 5 min but I don't so ya.

That has been about it for our week most of our investigators were to busy for us this week or so they said.

We were hoping for a really good week but that didn't go quite according to plans we hope this week will be better.

Also transfers are this Monday so I will keep you posted but basically they changed us all around so president could go and receive training.

but that is pretty much our week not much happened this week

Love you guys and Pray for you a lot

Elder Poll