The Preston Squadron.

Heyo everyone!!! This week has been gnarly so far. But I am loving life. Being in a trio, and serving in a 5 man flat has been such a new and awesome experience. Not only that, but even more new missionaries were added to my district, making a grad total of 14! I have officially renamed it to Preston Squadron, and instead of district leader I am squadron leader. But seriously, being in a flat with 4 other elders is so fun. Besides Elder Maljanen, the other 3 elders have all been out under 3 months...but they are all so good, and we are already all tight knit. We have been walking the streets as a 5 man squad, and all we are missing are earpieces and concealed weapons. CIA status. 

Alright I am going to finally send some pics (hopefully this computer will be nice and cooperate), and I need to reply to all your individual emails...so I am going to keep this short and sweet, and give you more deets next week.

I love you all. I miss you all. I am stoked for my next 4-month radventure...then I will see all your lovely faces again. Good times ahead. 

Take care, and peace out!

Elder BA

p.s. The trio (Maljanen, Schofield, BA)

p.s.s. The squad (BA, Schofield, Maljanen, Candland, 

Mongie)

new address:

Flat 1, 36 Bairstow Street, Avenham

Preston PR1 3TN

England

Farewell to Crosby.

Hello hello! Yes it is true....I am leaving Crosby. I was so stoked when I got the transfer call!!!......I am going back up to Preston......to serve in a trio with a Finn and a fresh-out Englishman (follow-up training again), with two other brand new elders...all in the same flat (5 Elder flat= party time)....and I am still district leader...over 4 other sisters and Elder Hamblin (origin member of the Barrow Tribe, hoorah) and another fresh missionary. So this is going to be a massive 11 member district, and this is going to be a crazy adventure. Especially with the holidays coming up...there is so much potential for good times ahead. I am so pumped!

Needless to say, my mind has been pretty elsewhere this week...but we still have had some good times here. 

In the beginning of the week, I had an exchange with my dear Russian friend Elder Nebesnii. He is going home tomorrow, and it was one of his dying wishing to go on exchange together. And it was incredible. Bro Romero in Liverpool picked us up and we went to my new favorite restaurant in England. It''s called Jimmy's BBQ, and it was incredibly fresh and crazy tasty Iranian food. Best kebab I have ever had in my life, and it didn't even make me feel like death afterwards. That was really good, but still not the highlight of the exchange. The best part was when we were invited to a house party for a local ecclesiastical church. Elder Nebesnii got the hook ups through his neighbor who was a member of that church, and so we showed up to this really small house, that was crowded with 20+ people or so. We both went in with the mindset of "ok, have fun, be smart, make some friends, but don't try to convert anyone". For a while we had a really good time, just eating and socializing with all the people. I was amazed to see how good these people were, even being a part of a different faith, with so many different backgrounds. Eventually though, Elder Nebesnii and I got separated. He was simply in the room next to mine, but that's when their Pastor leaned over and asked me the classic bashing question "obviously we have differences in our faith, and I don't want to offend you or anything, but I heard some interesting things about Mormons. Do you really believe....?", and then he unleashed all the questions that he could about how our doctrines contradict with his. Then....the quote came into my head "never bash with people....but if you do...make sure you win". Haha so looking back on it, I can see how the spirit really took over as I clarified and simplified and unfolded our core doctrines to him....and soon the entire room got involved, and it turned into one big sermon. It was all very peaceful though, and I could see so many of them open up their hearts to the things I had to say. It was a powerful moment, and the Holy Ghost was definitely present, softening everyone's hearts and allowing us to still all be brothers and sisters, even though we were of different faith's. 

When Elder Nebesnii and I got back to our flat, we were so pumped that it worked out so well, and it opened the doors for future missionaries to continue to see them. Being a missionary is so cool! And then he gave me a sweet Russian jacket as a farewell present. I love that Russian.

Well that's about my update for the past week, and the next time you hear from me, I'll update you all on my new Preston adventures. Time is going by so fast, and I love and miss you all. See ya soon. Peace out!

Elder BA

Patton Family on the right, Lee and Elder Plum

The blessings of the gospel.

Hola mi familia. Greetings from Crosby! This could be my second to last time emailing from this place. Transfers are right around the corner and I'm pretty sure I'm headed out next week. I am stoked for whatever adventure lies ahead.

This week has been really really.....good. I don't know what it is exactly, but there has just been a flood of peace recently. Elder Plumb and I are really getting along, the connection with the members is brilliant, Lee is on his way to baptism, we found 4 new investigators to teach, we have been able to do a lot of service, and all worry seems to be out of my mind. Also last night, we were able to go to the missionary fireside in Manchester where all the recent converts get up and bear their testimony and share their story. The spirit was so incredibly strong and radiating from everyone....especially Gary. Gary, from good old Southport, humbly got up to the podium and gave a beautiful testimony, and gave Elder Frandsen and I a special shout-out. Not going to lie...my eyes may have gotten a little sweaty to see how our good friend has completely turned his life around, has totally embraced the gospel, received the priesthood, is now on the young mens presidency, and has become our eternal friend. Words can't really explain how I feel, but...life is good. 

I have been so blessed to personally help and see people embrace the gospel in every area that I have been, and now it is Lee's turn here in Crosby. Please send some prayers his way, because even though he knows the truth, he still has some internal demons to fight. I love him though, and I have no worries that we will be baptized and carry on, either on the 24th of October or on some other day. 

Other than that, life has been full of walking in the rain, restoring a whole box of vintage tools that Elder Plumb and I found during service, making mexican food, eating mexican food, proselyting to uni students at the Liverpool University campus, and reuniting with Elder Diederich, Robinson and Sis. Thomson in Manchester. I am in a happy place right now.

I love and miss you all.

Peace out

Elder BA

Excited for life.

Heyo dirty beach bums! I love you all. So this week has seriously been a blur. I think the haze of man-flu and conference this weekend has blended all the days together this week, and when I woke up from my deep coma this morning...I thought my companion was messing with me about it being p-day already. Hey...I ain't even mad. But anyways, here are this week's quick deets:

We have spent a lot of time with the Patton family this week. Mike, the non-member husband, had a hip replacement surgery, so we spent a lot of time visiting him in the hospital, preparing his house for his return, and just helping out momma Patton. Good friends, good times.

We finally got back in touch with our other good friends the Standleys! They need some major carpentry help in the future, so I am stoked for that.

We were able to bring our main man ponytail Lee to conference! Initially he was a little disappointed...because it was no happy-clappy, baptist style, halleluiah, praise Jesus celebration. It worked out well though, and he started to really feel the spirit and the truth of the words that were being spoken. Lee's new best friend is Dieter. Haha every time President Uchtdorf got up to speak, Lee (at just the right reverent volume for everyone to hear) said, with a fist-bump, "Dieter! yeah man, that's what's up!". We can always count on Lee to bring some energy to any meeting.

Other than that, the week has ended with me pondering all the inspired words that we have heard...and I m so excited for life. Especially for my own little future family some day. In due time, in due time....but I am pumped. 

I love you all, go have an ocean adventure and make a legit sand-trap at the beach for me!

Peace

Elder BA