Monday, July 11, 2016

First Week in Perth, Scotland

It's been a pretty strange week, as you all know my companion and I were transferred together to Perth, Scotland area. It's a huge area we cover and full of little Villages and Farms. Kinda like getting called to the middle of no-where. Luckily we have a car so we aren't stuck with taking busses or stuck in Perth. Perth is a pretty small town/city place... But it has enough people to find potential investigators, it's just we only really meet Scottish people. Unlike in Dublin, we got a huge mix of people from different countries, races and cultures. It makes it a lot harder because we meet people from a similar crop, who aren't open to new religious beliefs and also some who don't like religions at all. This is definitely more like the mission I expected to go on when I was called to Scotland/Ireland, So it hasn't been that hard for me. You can definitely tell though the differences between Scottish and Irish, some of the Irish are more polite to your face but then rude behind your back. A few times we would receive fake phone numbers and addresses or they would set up an appointment with us and then never get back to us or block our phone number. It makes me really frustrated when people are not honest to your face. Here they just tell you NOPE, right in your face and a really mean, but it's better that way in my opinion, I don't want people wasting my time. 
I know this sounds really depressing what I'm talking about but that is just what finding is like on any mission I think. It can be a bit hurtful what people say, but you can choose what hurts you, you can take it personally or just brush it off your shoulders because their opinion means nothing to you. That's how it's been for me, I don't get hurt by what people say to me because I'm here for my Savior, I'm here because the message I share is about the salvation of all mankind. I'm giving people an opportunity to receive the message, it's for them, not for me so if they don't accept it and I can't do anything more than what the Lord has instructed me to do then I've done my part. (1 Nephi 3:7) He never gives me a command for something I cannot do without preparing a way to accomplish the thing which he has commandeth me to do. I trust that the Lord has sent me here for a reason, that there is people prepared somewhere to receive the gospel. 
It's been a really weird week though, as you know on P-day I had a really stressful day. After I emailed my District and we went to Boogums, then Me and Sister Stein ran around like crazy chickens with our heads chopped off trying to find everything we need in Dubin. Afterwards we tried to get to the Chapel as fast as we could to say good bye to those that could come by. Adam, our investigator that just got Baptised on the 8th of July came by and said goodbye, it was so sweet, apparently his baptism went well, and then Eric who got baptised 2 months ago said goodbye as well. He's this really cool dude from Congo, and it super social, but an awesome member of the church he never misses a Sunday and just received the Aaronic Priesthood 3 weeks ago. There was some other random missionaires at the Chapel as well so we spent some time there trying to print off tickets and said goodbyes and headed back to our flat, but that time it was getting late and we still needed to go to another recent converts house and shower at the Pettit's and also PACK. We had no electricity so at 11:00pm we started to pack by candle light, Sister Stein said that that is the most romantic and weirdest thing she has ever done on her mission. I just begun mine and I think it definitely can get weirder
Moves day (5th July) we spent the whole day traveling, woke up at 4:30 went to the bus stop at 6 said goodbye to our fellow missionaries and Babs came by as well. A few other missionaries travelled with us until we got to Edinburgh and had to take a train to Dundee, meet with some Elders there they dropped us off at our car and we drove, well I DROVE to Perth. I must say I am having a little bit of trouble driving I feel really bad for Sister Stein. The roads are tiny and the round-a-bouts are ridiculous. Very different rules about some things, and I feel uncomfortable driving on the opposite side of the road. Sister Stein and I are trading every week with who's driving. I like it that way so I get used to the traffic here before she leaves me and I have no-idea what would happen to me after she leaves. 
We met some of the people the Elders are working with and they are mostly men again... Isabella was suppose to be baptised on Saturday but it went wrong, she had a family emergency and we had to cancel it at the last minute. What a great first impression on the Members, I feel like the Elders will be upset when they find out that it didn't happen... It's nothing anyone can control. The Members in this Branch are really friendly and excited to have Sister Missionaries in their area, apparently it's been awhile. On our first day we had lunch with the Bishop and Relief Society President, went to the Branch Mission Leader's house, meet with David (Recent Convert), then went shopping for food and cleaning supplies. Almost every day since we got here we've meet with a member and received so many dinner appointments. I'm so grateful for how welcoming the Branch has been it really makes White-washing* easier. 
*when both companions weren't previously in the area before the transfer

So much driving this week it's been crazy, everything is like 30 minutes away. It's so different from Dublin. The scenery is beautiful. Really green every day was like an adventure to new towns and people. ​

No comments:

Post a Comment