Baptismal date set!!!

So we have a baptismal date set with Brother W., I say brother because this is a re baptism he was a member and then got super offended and then moved here and it is now 30 years later and he has gotten over it now, In that time they had asked him if he would like his name removed from the records and he didn't know what that meant but said yes anyway and so he is now getting re baptized but since he hasn't been to church in so long he wanted all the lessons again before he does so we are teaching him twice a week to get him to that point by Feb 6 for his re baptism. On Tuesday we had an inspection from the land lord and it went well and the we did some finding and had coordination that evening we also had a flat tire on the way there it wasn't on our bikes it was on the ones that we borrowed from the Lyons when our bikes got stolen and we were going past there and brother Lyons told us just to drop them off and he would take care of it. Brother Lyons hasn't been able to pick up the other ones so we just took them when we went to dinner and he dropped us home to our bikes so it worked out quite well except the flat tire. Wednesday it poured  down with rain all day and we were freezing mostly just my hands because everything else was water proof besides my gloves, and then we had youth that night (our ward doesn't have many youth so to make it fun for the ones that do come and so they can do more group style activities they want us to come as often as we can)  Thursday we had district meeting in Worcester and I broke a spoke on my bike. We got that fixed on Friday in the morning while we were at an appointment they also adjusted my gears for me and that was really nice. We were on foot for most of the day because of that and because we had a lesson that we were getting picked up from to go out to a dinner appointment. Saturday we we had two lessons and they both went okay but not quite where we wanted them to go. We were hoping to have them all coming out to church but sadly they didn't. Bro W was there and so was a less active we have been working with so that was good. 

This week is going to be really hectic for us, we have exchanges tomorrow and then on Wednesday we have a world wide training meeting that night and then because the meeting runs so late we are sleeping over in Cheltenham and then we have district meeting on Thursday in Worcester so lots of travel and lots of meetings.

love you guys

Love Elder Poll

 Crazy Week

So this week has been quite interesting in its content, on Monday we went out to a lesson with a guy who had his records removed by accident a few years ago in Ireland and so he then moved here and wants to come to church. He goes to get his records transferred and there are no records so now we are reteaching the lessons and he is probably going to get re baptized soon. Tuesday we had just finished our  comp study and were about to walk out the  door when we got a phone call saying surprise we have a meeting in Cheltenham. The assistants to the president forgot to tell our zone we had interviews that day until president had gotten all the way to Cheltenham chapel and the doors were locked and then it all came out that no one knew about it. We got the call but had already missed the train that would have gotten us there in time because it leaves at 9:40 and it was 10 so then we had to take a bus for 2 hours to get close and the zone leaders had to come pick us up for the meeting from there. Also we had exchanges the next day and so I went back to Worcester that night with Elder P (he came out at the same time as me) and we already had zone meeting for Thursday this week so we just stayed on exchange for 2 days instead of one and swapped back on Thursday at the meeting. It was fun to be back in Worcester again. We had dinner at the Nolan"s house my favorite members from the ward and it was great fun. Elder P and I were happy to be together because we are both serving with non Americans so when we say how great America is they think we are boasting but really we just miss some of the things you can only get there. Anyway on Tuesday we had an appointment with an investigator that we had to cancel which stinks because it was really hard to get in contact with her in the first place because she doesn't have a phone so we have to stop by and try our
luck to catch her. So it may take some time to set up another appointment. But on Thursday the train times changed so we missed our connecting train and so instead of getting back at 5:30 we got back at 6:30 and so we missed our appointment that night. Then on Friday we went and did some stop bys and did our weekly planning it was pretty wet that day and I was just really happy I had all my gear on. On Saturday we went out to Bromyard a smaller town in our area to try and contact a media referral that lived out there. We found the house but no one was home and so we may have to go back out there in the next week or so to see if we can catch him in. That night we taught an impromptu lesson. We went to stop by a less active member and invite them out to church and they had a friend over and we taught him about the plan of salvation. And that was cool we are going to ,meet up with him later this week. Sunday we had church and it was really good and then after church we went out to the Garlick family for dinner, they live in the middle of nowhere so it takes about a hour in just travel time to go to there house. They are totally awesome but we don't go out there to much just because of the time it takes. Tonight we are going out to that same guy as last week that we taught the plan of salvation.
Anyway love you guys

Elder Poll

The one he forgot to send last week.

This week was a bit weird we had a lot of referrals come through last Monday and so we have spent most of the week trying to contact them but many of them live out in the middle of nowhere so those have been a struggle. On new years eve we had to be in at 6 but that was really okay because we just did our weekly planning and it was pouring rain. I have realized this week how easily shoes get worn out because I think those shoes I got back in July from you are about to start wearing in holes. I am going to try and get the other pair fixed by a cobbler here so I will have a water proof pair to wear, and I am going to try and find some shoes covers to wear when we bike because elder D has them and his feet stay dry all the time. mine are okay but the rain runs down my jacket down my water proof trousers and into my socks and down to my feet. but for the most part things are good here. Elder D and I get on quite well we are so much a like some times that we get on each others nerves a bit but that's okay. Later this week we both got a bit sick but we are okay now, we just both woke up and weren't feeling well  just really tired and not the normal tired of missionary work, we asked sister leopard and described what it felt like and she told us that a lot of missionaries were getting that and the best thing we could do was take a few extra hours and sleep it off. We did and after lunch we were both feeling a lot better so we worked and went and saw people the rest of the day. We did some street contacting. it was good. our street contacting has not been fruitful much this week but we have had quite a bit of luck in contacting referrals we have an appointment this week with two referrals and plan to try and contact quite a few more, its been interesting we have had 14 referrals in the last 2 weeks from church headquarters a few are legit and some are fake but we will see.

Love you
Elder Poll

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