Elder Bryant Goodman: Adventures in Kendal.

Hello my loved ones! I love monday's. I love hearing your words and all about your adventures, and I'm thankful for all the love that is flowing from this screen right now. I truly miss all of you, especially as the days are creeping towards Christmas. But hey, life is still good here. I wish more than ever that I could be with you all for Christmas, but I am embracing this experience. I am learning how to bond with people from all cultures and all backgrounds, so it is definitely worth it being away for these two short years.

This week...was yet another adventure!!! Here's the deets:

On Tuesday, I had a district meeting in Kendal with the Kendal Elders (its really wierd yet chill only having two others in my district). It was all about Charity! We decided that since we have some of the hardest "number" areas in the mission, we decided to be known as the most "charitable district". So, we got creative and instituted the "Hour of Faith". Basically, its a way to spice up the day, wear normal clothes and get our hands dirty. The idea is to put on service clothes, call the other elders in the district to let them know you started the hour of faith, then you go out for one hour.....and spontaneously serve as much as possible. After that hour, you report back to the other elders about any miracles or good people you met along the way. I am stoked to get it started!

After that, we had a pulled-pork BBQ all together in the flat. It was the bomb. We then started our exchange and seperated on our ways. I stayed in Kendal with Elder Hotchkiss. He is from Utah, but way rad. We both have the same free-adventurous-polymath spirit, and all we talked about was future adventure ideas and paragliding and hiking and backpacking and roaming the world. It was way good, especially when we got to have an adventure of our own. We traveled down to Milnthorpe (the place of John Taylor) and worked all around there. After teaching some good people and teaching a whole group of young kids in the street how to pray, we decided to use our tea break to go hike in the scenic hills and eat our dinner at the top of the highest one near town. It was absolutely beautiful!!! We both felt like we were in the Shire as we hiked up the hills amongst the herds of deer and sheep. Along the way, we met and talked to a fellow trekker, and had a really good converation with her, and she totally softened her heart against the church and mormons in general. We then ate our meal of fruit and sandwiches on the top of the hill and just soaked in the scenery and the whole experience. I will attach some pictures, but I swear they dont do it any justice.

Eventually I had to make my way back from beautiful Kendal to "beautiful Barrow"(the joke throughout the mission). The middle of the week was rough with rain and fatigue, but altogether, I say we had an amazing week.

We found 3 new solid investigators!!

We taught our highest number of lessons in Barrow

We escaped from a bunch of wasted party girls, aka chavettes, aka female chavs

Both Elder Diederich and I gave talks in church about the Saviour. Mine was all about "Turning outwards rather than inwards".

We had tea at Michael Cunningham's home. He has been taught for over 15 years, we are pretty sure he is gay, but he made an incredible meal and apple pie

We finished planning our Christmas training

And we finished our week off by teaching lovely crazy Elizabeth from Malta.

Overall, the week was really good. Elder Diederich is my favorite companion so far. We just chill and mesh together pretty well, and we always have a Will Ferrel or SNL quote to respond to eachother with. Even though we feel banished out here in Barrow, we are loving life and are making the best of it. I never knew how many good friends I would meet on the mish. And its not even half over. Party on Wayne....party on Garth

Well everyone, I hope you are having a bodacious Christmas. It sounds like you are having lovely weather, so enjoy it for me! Just know that I miss you all, and I pray for you all everynight. Peace out ladies and gentlemen, have a good one

Elder Goodman

HotTuna

p.s. For our Christmas party/training on tuesday, every district has to do a 10 min skit. So...with me as Ron Burgandy and with a mustache....we are doing an Anchorman parody...England Machester Mission News style. Hopefully it works out. Stay classy

sneaking up on deer

this is our land

preach to every creature