6 months left!

What's up everyone?! I love you all. Bank holidays are still so funky to me, it really throws off the groove. But hey, I am still happy and life is still good, especially with a belly full of homemade coconut cake that Elder Plumb and I made from scratch for Sister Toly's birthday. Be proud of us mum. 

So this week's quick deet's=

It seemed like everyone wanted to bash with us this week. Jehovah's Witnesses, Pagans, atheists, Catholics...the whole shebang. My whole mission I have avoided bashing with people, but this week...yeah we stuck it to the man (well, as much as you can as a missionary). It has seriously strengthened my testimony though, and showed to me that 18 months of sincere and deep study has really paid off. I am with Joseph Smith, when he said “A man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge....and knowledge is power". I believe that the more you study, the more material the Holy Ghost will have to work with, and with the Holy Ghost, you will never be confounded before men, because the Holy Ghost fears no man. 

Yesterday, we were able to go to the temple and see the new video! It was incredible, and it was so god to see all of my good missionary friends again. Hatch, Bradley, Klingonsmith, O'brien, Maughan...and so many others. I never thought I would make so many true friends on my mission, and the reunion was sweet. Pondering more on reunions....in 6 months, it will be the best one ever! I.am.so.stoked.

Other than that, the week was full of teaching and walking and finding and exploring Formby and meeting crazy people, then meeting with normal people, only to find out that they are crazy too. Everyone has a little bit of crazy in 'em. 

This Saturday, I get to go to Gary's baptism!!!! It's been a long and bumpy road, but he finally made it. I can't wait to see him face to face again and give him the biggest bro-hug of his life. Seeing the process of change in Gary has been one of the greatest highlights of my mission, and I will remember it forever. Missionary work is joy.

Well everyone, I love you all. Keep up with the adventures and never settle for mediocrity. Till next time...peace out!!

Elder BA

The Crosby Blitz.

Hey there everyone. Not gonna lie, it's kinda a surreal feeling right now only having about 6 months left till I see you all again. It hit me pretty hard today, and as of right now in this library...I am mega trunky. It's crazy, all week I was actually thinking about and reminiscing about the cabin...then I check my email and bam!!! cabin pics. I just can't wait till i can join you all there again.

As for me this week, things have been going pretty well. Elder Plumb and I are finally starting to really open up to each other and bond more, which has made the work way more enjoyable. We have also been bonding with a few of the ward families, and the Pattons and McKenna's and the Standley's are all seriously some of my favorite families I have met in the mission, besides the Kent's of course. Even though the members here are in small number, for the most part they love the missionaries. And when you are real and down to earth with them, they are real with you and take you in, and you really feel like part of the family. 

This week we had the Crosby Blitz, with all 30 missionaries in the Liverpool Zone come to Crosby and work the streets all together. It was an incredible experience, and now both companionships here in Crosby have about 30 new people each to go contact. I am so stoked to go out and meet and work with them! Elder Plumb and I alone found an incredible investigator named Amy, and after wards it made Elder Plumb so happy...he voluntarily gave me a hug of pure joy...and this is the same kid who thinks any man-to-man hug is homosexual and in his words " nah man that's queer" (redneck accent). Hopefully it will kick start this ward again. 

Other than that, this week was full of normal missionary work, pick-up football matches, skating with some kids, picking blackberries, spitting out sour blackberries, eating paella with the Pattons, laughing at Elder Plumb, going on another exchange in Liverpool, pinching a crazy nerve in my neck, handling sister drama, stepping in dog poop, and running in the morning on the beach. 

Life is good, and time is going by crazy fast. Being real, I am happy doing the Lord's work here and befriending so many people and doing what I truly love, teaching.......but I am so stoked and excited to see and be with you all again. Well, it's going to go by fast here, so I will enjoy it to the utmost awesome levels as I can. So in the meantime, take care, I love and miss you all, and peace out. 

Elder BA

p.s. next monday is a lame bank holiday...so look for my words on tuesday

Reviving Crosby.

Hello there chaps! It's good to hear from all of you. I love and miss you.

Life is going pretty well over here on the Liverpool coast. Elder Plumb and I are over most of the new-missionary-bumps-in-the-road, and the work is exploding here. It's incredible.

 

So here are the deets:

 

Earlier on in the week, we had a long talk with Bishop (one of the best bishops I have served with on my entire mission) and he simply and boldy told us..."Crosby has never had real growth. And if real growth doesn't happen soon, Crosby will be shut down in 5-10 years". The members here are such good people and I love them, but I fear they lost some hope for Crosby as well. So...we have been working extremely hard and relying on the Lord even more.

When we first arrived, we had one shaky investigator. Over the course of the last week and a half...Elder Plumb and I now have 9 investigators, with two that are close to baptism. There have just been so many little connections and "coincidences" and good people opening the door to us, and I am stoked to keep on working here.

To revive Crosby even more, the Stake President has told us to do a "Crosby Blitz"...with all 30 missionaries in the zone coming here on Friday, and literally finding most of the working day. Not gonna lie, after planning it with some of the other leaders...it's going to be crazy. I have never heard of this happening before, but Operation: Crosby Revival is in full effect!

 

So along with that good news, I also got some really good news from Elder Frandsen. Remember Gary from Southport? Well he has once again committed to baptism, and is totally back on track and has ditched his skanky girlfriend. If everything goes well, I will be going to his baptism on the 30th of August! I seriously almost cried when I heard the news. Please, keep him in your prayers, Gary needs it.

 

Other than that, this week has been full of missionary work and just getting to know Elder Plumb even more. Haha he is a flipping crazy redneck kid, but he is good. Once you peel back some layers, his good heart really shows. Kinda like Skrek. I still have some really good friends in this zone too, like Elder Clark and Lee. Today we are going up to Liverpool and playing chair football with some of the other Elders again. I.am.so.pumped!!!!! I will definitely bring this game back to the states.

 

Well everyone, take care, and for those of you who have to go to highschool and junior high.....mwahahahahahahah! Randi, I am still jealous of you though. I'll see you there soon.

I love you all, and peace out!

 

Elder BA

 

 

 

 

Crosby adventures and Elder Plumb.

Hey everyone! Greetings from the land of Scousers, metal men, crazy Irish old women and rednecks. There is so much going on lately, but I am happy and well. Hopefully I can squeeze in the main deets of what's going on:

 

So rewinding to last week, on tuesday night I got to go to train the trainers again, and it was awesome. Pres. Ulrich is so deep, and so many of my other good friends were there and training as well. The incoming group had 24 missionaries coming in, so the mission home was packed of trainers. The meeting was very inspirational, but the best part was staying over in the manchester flat at night with 14 other elders. Haha it was a party. Elder Van Waganer and I found a guitar...and luckily he knew how to play every single one of the Flight of the Conchords songs. Business Time.

 

The next morning, we were all exhausted, but stoked to get our new trainees. My new mission child is....Elder Plumb! He is an 18 year old redneck from Casa Grande Arizona, and even though he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed....haha he has a good heart. We have had to get over some pride issues already, but he is quickly learning the ways of the mission. He already loves to talk (very very loudly), and we have been able to meet some amazing people here in Crosby and Waterloo.

 

It's been an adventure so far. Since we white-washed in, and the other Elders left us with absolutely nothing...we have been hitting the streets hard. On Friday, we literally tracted for 8 hours, and talked to everyone in between on the streets. I still hate the idea of tracting with a passion, but Heavenly Father blessed us with finding 3 new investigators already! We are slowly reviving Crosby, haha and I have never been more tired, or more soaked. It has been dumping down rain hard lately...like waterfall status.

 

The Crosby Ward is very small with only 40 active members, but I have already found my Crosby family! Sister Patton and her daughter Amanda (both Brazillian! The husband is english and a nonmember, and hates missionaries) took us in, and they treated us so well, and serioulsy fed us like kings. I love them so much already, and we have been able to help out eachother so much. They also showed us to their friends, and now we are trying to start up a traditional football match with some of the other teens in the area. I have been incredibly suprised with how nice the people here have been so far. The people who live on the outskirts of Liverpool are just so funny and scouse and open to talk and help us out. I'm stoked to play football again and bump up our teaching pool.

 

Other than that, I have just been working hard to help out Elder Plumb and to help out this ward. He is a workhorse, and I am so grateful for that. I have no idea what we are going to do for fun for pday, but I hope you all have some rad times at home and enjoy the sun! I love and miss you all. Till next time, peace out home skillets.

 

Elder BA