Nothing this week!!!

Well I don't know where Elder Poll is this week but I'm sure I will find out next week what happened!!!

this week was crazy busy and so I don't feel like i have done proper missionary work in like a week, because Monday was pday and we had district pday in Worcester  with everyone and they we got the transfer call that night and my companion got told he was going to Wolverhampton in Birmingham so on Tuesday it was his packing day and saying good bye. I just cleaned the flat after him because i didn't want my greeny coming into a messy flat so that was Tuesday, Wednesday we went up to Birmingham to pick up elder Decker he is from the Netherlands and luckily for him he loves to bike, but that took up all of our Wednesday in travel getting there and back we got home at about 7.40 at night. Thursday we needed to get bikes and a rail card figured out for him then we finally got to do some missionary work later that day though. and we stopped by and got to see almost everyone then on Friday we had zone conference in Cheltenham and that was a killer on the pocket that's why we got him the rail card the day before because a rail card drops the price by a third so it's not to bad of a price. and that took our whole day we had to be there at 10 for choir practice and then it finished at 3 and it takes 45 min to walk to the train station and our train back was at 3.30 so we didn't make it and so elder Decker did all the ipad stuff that had to be done before he could use it. We had about 2 hours as our next train back was not for two hours so we got that all done and got home at about 7.40 again. then Saturday we went a picked up elder Decker's bike that he bought because they still had to put it together a bit so we got that and then the work could really begin and it was great we went out to a small village out by some members because they had done a pamphlet drop for us out there and so when they do that we follow up on the next Saturday and tract the street and talk to people about the pamphlet and this one also had and invitation to our carol service that is on Christmas eve. Even if they weren't interested in learning more a lot still said they would come to the carol service.oh but earlier that day on the way back from getting elder D's bike he had his first wreck so now that is over and done with so ya it was funny and he is okay, oh and in the way of bike I bought a new used one this week from another elder you know how I told you that it would probably cost about 50 pounds to get the one I had fixed another missionary sold me his way nicer bike for 50£ instead and it is way nicer than the one I was going to fix, so we are all good on bikes now. so after we did the trackting thing we went over to that members house to have dinner then they dropped us off at our next appointment and from there we walked home and it was good. Sunday was mostly church and coordination meeting and then because I am training we have an extra hour of comp study every day and all the other stuff that come with being a trainer. luckily for me he is from the Netherlands  and one of his parents is Australian and so he speaks perfect English so no language study.

well I think that is it for this week. 

Elder Poll

Training

So this week has been really good we had a really amazing experience with meeting with a less active member and he told us to come back on Saturday and teach his girl friend that she was interested. so that was cool. Tuesday we had district meeting and president came and he did the meeting and it was so cool to be there with him, he also covered safety rules in regards to the Paris attack because I don't know if you have seen the news but there have been threats against Britain I guess.This is what has been told us by some members so he just went through all that stuff with us. We also talked about the new Christmas video also. Wednesday was we saw mark and we also did a lot of stop by. We found out that the river had flooded and we had to go through it well not the river but through the part where it flooded and I got soaked up to my knees and so we turned back and I put on dry trousers and shoes and then we went around that part to get to were we were going. We went to youth night and  helped put together boxes for a charity that ships needed supplies to Africa and that was fun and I got all taped up. Thursday we had a lesson with two older ladies and then we did some stop bys and made cookies for our investigators. Friday we had to cross the water again because we were running really late luckily the water had gone down quite a bit but we still got really wet but it was worth it we had a couple of really great lessons that night. Saturday was really the amazing part of the day followed by a depressing part.

As came out of an amazing lesson to go home our bike were gone and so we had to walk home SOMEONE STOLE OUR BIKES not just mine but elder Bogaerts also so we currently have no bikes right now and so things have been a bit ruff on Sunday we had to be to a meeting at 9.15 for PEC and so we left our flat at 8 and just made it in time for the meeting so needless to say our mobility is severely disabled right now. but good news that is pretty cool wait for it .......wait for it..... I AM TRAINING THIS COMING TRANSFER that's why I have a really early meeting tomorrow. so ya this week is going to be good I think buy also really busy and next week is going top be really hectic even more but should be fun. love you guys don't have to much fun with out me.
Elder Poll

Catching Up

Nov 23

This week has been really good here but also really cold.I found out this week very quickly that I lost my gloves some where in transit from Cwmbran to Hereford because I can't find them, so for a few days I was wrapping g my hand In my scarf and putting that one in the handlebars of my bike to drive and the other one in my pocket. But as for missionary work we have been quite blessed when I got here
there were only two investigators and this week we have doubled that and to be honest it had to be the spirit because literally we didn't do anything to find them they came to us. One we met her while visiting a less active and we were having a nice chat with her and she is just one of this elderly women and a friend of hers just walked in and started talking with us and we talked about the plan of salvation and it went really well.
The other two were kind of planned but kind of not. A part member family here previously the wife and daughter weren't interested at all and would say hi and go in the other room but now they have started to
ask questions so we had a lesson with them so that was awesome. And we had an amazing lesson last night with A we just had a heart to heart about expectations and where things are going from here and that
was really good.We also had zone meeting this week and it was good but t we are one of the teams on the edge of the zone and so it takes us 2 hours to get to the meeting and the meeting only lasts 2 hours and then it's 2 hours back so it takes the whole day. But there is nothing we can really do about that we have to
be at the meeting so such is life. And this week we helped a family clear all the rubbish from there front garden because they just moved in to the house and the last owners left it a mess. So ya we had a pretty great week.
And this week should be pretty good as well.

Love Elder Poll

Nov30

For us this week has been a bit busy and slow. because of travel to get to a from places it is pretty lame because it takes us ages to get anywhere. but I did have a great experience this week. I got to go back to Worcester on exchange and I got to see A. we talked for ages we had games night that night as well it was kind of sad to see though because when I was in Worcester the games nights we had a turn out of 15 or so but now they are getting less than 8 out and that's counting the missionaries but it was nice for me mostly just because A was there, and he walked back with us from the chapel to our flat after so all in all we talked for about three hours just getting updated on what been going on. I also got to see quite few of the members while I was there I got to see the Nolans.

On the weekend it was stake conference in Cheltenham and it is really far away from here it is about a 1 to 2 hour drive and that was while I was in the car with a member and he was going about 80 the whole way there and it still took us ages. and because that members from here don't really go to the stake meetings unless they have to so the adult session on Saturday night did not many from our ward that went to that one and because it is so far away we didn't get back till 10.30. The conference was good and a member of the seventy came and spoke and it was funny because I knew him it was the same one that spoke and my first zone conference about a year and 2 months ago but it was funny because he knew my companion and so he called on him to come us and bear his testimony right in the middle of the general session of the conference. On Thursday we had district meeting and for lunch we had thanksgiving and it was funny because it was just missionaries all under 23 at the table and the sisters did all the cooking but us elders did all the washing up. and we also had the zone leaders there. So 10 of us and 5 of them were not American it was half and half but we all enjoyed it and the food was great. they even made the yams with the marshmallows. on Tuesday we went by some less actives and it was cool because one of them was really awesome and wants to start coming back to church. We met up with him today and went bowling and got to know each other better. it was cool. 

On Friday we had flat inspection and we did good she said we had the nicest freezer she had seen so far.  Hope you all well and have a great week talk to you next week.

Love you 

Elder Poll

Dec 7

So this week has been really good we had a really amazing experience with meeting with a less active member and he told us to come back on Saturday and teach his girl friend that she was interested. so that was cool. On Tuesday we had district meeting and president came and he did the meeting and it was so cool to be there with him and he also covered while he was the the safety rule in regards to the Paras attack because I don't know if you have seen the news but there have been threats against Britain I guess is what has been told us by some members so he just went through all that stuff with us. and we also talked about the new Christmas video also. Wednesday was when we saw mark and we also did a lot of stop bys. We found out that the river had flooded and we had to go through it, well not the river but through the part where it flooded and I got soaked up to my knees and so we turned back and I put on dry trousers and shoes and then we went around that part to get to were we were going. Then we went with the youth that night and  helped put together boxes for as charity that ships needed supplies to Africa and that was fun and I got all taped up. Thursday we had a lesson with two older ladies and then we did some stop bys and made cookies for our investigators after dinner. Friday we had to cross the water again because we were running really late luckily it had gone down quite a bit but we still got really wet but it was worth it because we had a couple of really great lessons. Saturday was really amazing part of the day followed by a depressing part. We came out of and amazing lesson with M 's girl friend and and it went really well and then we went out to go home and do our weekly planning and our bikes were gone and so we had to walk home... SOME ONE STOLE OUR BIKES not just mine but elder Bogaerts also. and so we currently have no bikes right now and so things have been a bit ruff. Sunday we had to be to a meeting at 9.15 for PEC and so we left our flat at 8 and just made it in time for the meeting so needless to say our mobility is severely disabled right now. but good news that is pretty cool wait for it .......wait for it..... I AM TRAINING THIS COMING TRANSFER that's why I have a really early meeting tomorrow. so ya this week is going to be good I think but also really busy and next week is going to be really hectic but should be fun. Love you guys.

Elder Poll

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