March 3, 2017

Hiya Everyone!

This week we weren't able to do much work in our area. There was a Scotland South Conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday, for the missionaries in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley Zones. They spoke about what we call the Big 5, stuff we use unique to our mission (My Conversion Formula, How to get a qualified appointment, At Church Checklist and Holy Ghost Principle), also a bit about Jospeh Smith history, giving Joseph Smith a voice when we teach the Restoration, How to set Goals (Desire, Vision, Goals, Plan and Action) I like when president said in one email. A Goal without a plan is Fish without Chips. After the conference my district and some members of my zone had interviews with the Mission President. Sister Parker and I ended up being the last people to get interviewed, for dinner President and Sister Donaldson took us and the APs for dinner at 5 guys. It's like a little piece of home. Since President was going to Glasgow that night he offered to drive us to Glasgow train station. So off we went. On the way we got lost... I'm not going to say whose fault it was. (not mine) And we had to spend the night at the Glasgow STL Flat. Hahaha!!

The next day we had to run out of the train station in Ayr to our appointment with Dani (the Pakastani man we met a couple weeks ago). It was really cool. He asked us what was the difference between the catholic church and the lds church. We planned on teaching the Restoration so it was perfect. I think it went pretty well. We invited him to hear the prophet and his Apostles speak at General conference this weekend. We also saw Chris this week which was really cool. He's progressing so much and the Spirit was so strong in the lessons. Everything we teach him, he says it makes sense. He went to General Conference on Sunday at the church, he went to the Priesthood and the Sunday Morning Session. (For those who don't know what General Conference is, it's a world wide broadcast that happens twice a year. Members of the Twelve (Quorum of the Twelve Apostels)  and the First Presidency (Prophet and his two counsellors) Speak and as well as some of the members of the other Presidences (Primary, Young men, young woman and Relief Society) and also the Seventy. They talk about church things, invite us to act, do announcements and there is a choir singing as well. Each session is two hours long we have General Womans conference and Priesthood Conference as well) We met a new first Nioimi, she's amazing! Nioimi is 22, a college student and is so open to the Spirit. In our first lesson with her this week she exclaimed that she felt like her heart was beating so fast when we were teaching about Joseph Smith, she went to Conference for one of the sessions and loved it. I'm so excited about some of the People we've been teaching I could talk forever about them.

General Conference was really good. I think as a Missionary sitting through hours and hours of conference is alot eaiser to consentrate and not get distracted. I loved Carol McConkie's talk in the Women's general Session about making ourselves Holy, Dale G. Renlund on how Jesus Christ looks upon our sins, Russel M. Nelson about how the Atonement is nothing without talking about the Saviour and who he is, Robert D. Hales becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ we need to be not only emulating him in our actions but in our hearts and how each of the attributes help strengthen one another such as Faith increase as we strive to be more Virtuous. When we develop Tempreance we develop Patience. Elder Holand on the Chourous of Mortality, Peace can only be achieved if all Loves God and Keep his commandments. God is determind to make us more than we think we can be. Gary B. Stalin, Standing up on the inside. Joy D. Jones helping children become sin resistant.

So good ❤

We had exchanges in Glasgow this week. I actually really like Glasgow. It's a really cool city with such a diversity of Nationalities. So much history and variety. Got to stop and talk to so many different people. I'll send some photos I took of the cool musium that we got to teach in. 

June 19, 2017

Paisley, Scotland.

So this week was pretty good actually. I'll just start with last Monday, Sister Ligertwood and I hiked up a brae looking over Paisley. It was muddy and cloudy, luckily it didn't start raining until we were on our way down and it was really light misty rain. I loved the view of Paisley and it seemed like we were in the country side but it's only a 30 minute hike away from the city. Scotland is weird like that, one minute it's a town or city the next you're surrounded by cows and green pastures. I love that you get ferns growing in the woodlands in Scotland, it reminds me of hiking in Victoria. After the hike we still had a lot of time left of our day. Since we've been feeling super tired lately we just kinda chilled in the flat for a bit and listened to music. In the Evening we went by some people that previously have been taught by missionaries in the last 10 years. While we were going by addresses we stopped and talked to a guy named Colin. He's a music teacher in a high school and is going through a divorce right now. We got his number and arranged a time to meet with him the next day.

Tuesday we had a really good District meeting. Talking about why going to church is so important so we can teach people better to attend church. I really liked how we talked about how maybe some times you feel like you don't need to go to church, but we go to church not just to help ourselves but to help others. (Mosiah 18:8-9) we promise to help others to strengthen each other. Maybe it's your experience or testimony that some one else needs to hear. Church is also a time where we show God and Christ that we remember them and love them. The sacrament is a time to become clean and renew the covenants we've made. I definately remember these things when I get home, I never thought about church being a time where I need to help others. We taught our investigator Stewart, he's still not wanting to Pray. I'm confused with him, why doesn't he feel comfortable enough to pray yet? And the best part of my day was meeting with Colin. He seems to be a really sensitive guy, about my parents age and is going through a really tough time and after speaking to him he understands that the message we share could really bless him with the comfort and strength he needs to move forward in his life. Colin's really cool in how he can really relate the scriptures to himself, I think reading the Book of Mormon will bring him alot of guidance and peace.

Wednesday we went to Glasgow on Exchanges with the STL's. I was with Sister Esplin for the day. We did ALOT of GQing (Street finding). I got a peak into the Botanic Gardens when we taught a few people on a bench slightly inside. It looks so cool, with a ton of Green-houses inside. I really hope that one day I'll be able to get a proper look inside the green-houses. It was funny being in glasgow for the 5th time on exchanges, because I'm starting to remember people that I've spoken to before on the street. A guy in a food truck recognized me and called me over. We spoke to him and his friend, in the end they gave us free fruit. I'm also getting sickened just by looking at pigeons now. While we were eating lunch I was gagging because of the pigeons that were around us. Pigeons are flying rats, so gross... The longer I've been on my mission the more aware I am of cleanliness, I'm in public areas all of the time. 🤒 In the evening we made banana bread with the STL's, and also because we like chocolate, we placed some coco in a layer of the Banana bread. It turned out okay, would've been better if it was chocolate chips. 

Thursday we did some finding, it was Sister Ligertwoods 1 YEAR mark. Since it was a special occasion we got some Five Guys. I love Five Guys in Scotland because they make it look exactly like the 5 guys in America. I was reminiscing back when I got 5 guys with my Dad sometimes. Even Sister Ligertwood an Australian agrees that 5 guys have the best burgers. Afterwards we taught a less active member and her sister. We also had Ward Council meeting, in the Paisley Ward they only have Ward Council once a month. Even when it only happens once a month they didn't have much to talk about. I don't know if there's a better way to do things, I think it just depends on the Ward and what they think Ward Council is for. 

Friday we had a bunch of appointments scheduled and everyone cancelled on us. I think it was going to be possibly seeing 5 people, and they all changed their minds or had something better to do. At least they didn't just not show up and messaged us before hand?

Saturday there was a car show in Paisley. So many cars and motor bikes, it was an early Father's Day celebration I think. We met an old man named Sam, he told us about one particularly funny event that happened in his life when he was young and wild. Sam was living in London and was dating this Ethiopian Woman. One morning she woke him up screaming and yelling complaining about politics, he told her to shut up and she threw her self across the bed and bit him hard on the arm. He said that he definitely drew blood and had to get a shot afterwards. Never saw the woman again. Also met a man who has seen alot of the world and his favourite place was Lofoten islands in Norway?

Sunday was church. Colin came to sacrament meeting and it was so good to see him there. The members were so good at making him feel welcome.

 I was running out of time and couldn't say much more about my week. Hopefully next week we'll continue to see more and more success. Also do you remember Daniel? The young man that got baptized in Ayr right after I moved to Paisley?? His parents are learning about the church now and will possibly be getting baptized this month or the next!! So exciting for them! Daniel has probably being such a good example to them and this has helped them see the power of God strengthening him. 

I heard on the street that there was a huge fire in London this week and a bunch of people were killed. So many more bad things are happening right now, it makes me really grateful for the protection I've had in my life and the knowledge of the Gospel that it will all work out in the end. 

Sister Johnson is excited to have a companion from Australia

June 5th, 2017 Paisley Australia

Hello! 

I can't believe I've been on my mission for over a year! Time is starting to move quickly on my mission and I'm afraid I'll be home before I know it. Paisley is full of so many different characters, it kinda makes Finding on the street fun. The weather this week started off Sunny and warm, not it's rainy and cloud. Sister Ligertwood is a pretty fun companion, we do a lot of good work together. I'm excited to spend a transfer with her.

So on Tuesday I had the chance to go to the baptism of my investigator Daniel in Ayr, it's only at 30 minute train ride and I only needed permission from my zone leaders. Daniel was pretty cool to teach because we met him and three weeks later was baptized. We had no problems with the process of him preparing for baptism, he just did what we asked him to do because he had faith and trust to receive the promised blessings. Daniel felt the spirit and recognized it. His parents also came to the Baptism and wanted to take Sister Parker and me out to lunch, before they are so grateful for making Daniel the happiest he's ever been in 10 years. Seeing people change their lives like this makes all this hard work worth it in the end.

A funny thing happened on the train when we were traveling home. A woman had a bottle with fizzy stuff, she shook it for some reason and liquid burst out of the bottle and hit the window next to her, on the ceiling and on the window on the other side of the train. pretty impressive, I must say.

We were basically trying to build up our teaching pool this week and met a lot of random people​​. They aren't too promising but, hey it's a teaching pool kinda. Man called Moses from somewhere in South America, he just moved to Paisley and we see him every day. He's Catholic but interested in learning about our church so we give him unplanned street lessons every other day. Lucky for him he just got a flat down the road from us so we can see him even more often. 😉 We met a man called Raj from India my first day here and tried to teach him twice but he couldn't understand a word, I'm not too sure if it's the gospel he's interested in. A polish young man, Kasper, texted us on our way back from the baptism, I'll add one of the text messages in a picture. But basically he saw "passion in my eyes" and wanted to get ice-cream with me, Sister Ligertwood texted for me and told him sure but I'll need to bring a friend and we are missionaries. So we did get ice-cream and told him next time could we teach him about our Church and he said yes. 

 

Met the members on Sunday and it was really weird how this church building is exactly the same as the Ayr building. So many noisy children here, it feels kinda like my home ward during sacrament meeting.  I was forced to give the first testimony is fast and testimony meeting and introduce myself. Not too fun, I do bare my testimony is sacrament meeting most months. But it was uncomfortable doing it my first day and to be the first person. 😣

Street Buskers in Paisley

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The day before they left, the Sisters had their last baptism in Ayr. What a special person that was baptized. Baptism of Daniel McMillan tonight, and Sister Johnson was able to return to the Ward!

Delighted to meet our new missionary companionships... Sister Ligertwood and Johnson and Elder Kitchen and Wayment... Paisley Ward is blessed to have you all....