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
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