July 3, 2017

Well, everybody. This is it. This is the last email you'll get from missionary me because next Monday is the last day of my mission. I don't even know what to write today. This past week just went by way too fast. Too fast, indeed.

We were finding a lot, and visiting people and just making sure everyone was doing alright. I enjoyed every minute of it. As my mission has wound down, I feel like it has only sped up - Faster and faster until the whole thing is a blur. I was sitting down last night staring off into space and I decided I would try and replay my entire mission in my mind.

As I did I realized that I have done things I never thought I would do. If you would’ve told me 2 years ago that I would feel comfortable stopping random strangers on the street to tell them about God, I would have laughed in your face. Or if you would have told me that I would be running for buses at 5 in the morning because of misjudged timing, or that I would be able to make some of the best friends I have ever had, I wouldn't have believed you. But these are the things that have happened. I am a better person. I have made some of my best friends here. I have ran for buses on more than one occasion, I feel absolutely normal just stopping people on the street to tell them that I am a Mormon and that makes my life, and that I would like to share that with them as well. And above all else, I have come to know that my Savior lives and that He loves me. That he would do anything for me. That the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's restored Church on the Earth and that His only concern is that we return to him and make every single moment count. I know this to be true. And I will never not know it. It is the most amazing thing that we can share with anybody. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. Never would I ever. The Savior can mold us, shape us, and refine us. And above all else, He can save us.

SCOTLAND IRELAND MISSION

LISBURN BELFAST ZONE - 4 TRANSFERS

Elder Blosil

Elder Allred

Elder Tolk

BRAY DUBLIN ZONE - 2 TRANSFERS

Elder Bates

Elder Giles

COLERAINE BELFAST ZONE - 4 TRANSFERS

Elder Richards

Elder Cropper

DUMBARTON GLASGOW ZONE - 4 TRANSFERS

Elder Milburn

Elder Sheppard

STRANRAER PAISLEY ZONE - 3 TRANSFERS

Elder Ritchie

Elder Rodiguez

TILL THE WORK IS DONE MY FRIENDS!!! SEE YOU ALL SOON!!!!!!

P.S. I am about out of time for now, but I will send pics a bit later!!! Love you all!!!

-Till the Work is Done

- Elder Mickelsen

June 26, 2017

Well, I bet you can guess how I am gonna start this letter! Yep! This week was the fastest week ever! We started off by emailing on Monday morning. And then immediately after that, we headed off to Kilmarnock to have a P-Day up there, which was pretty fun.

We stayed the night up there and then on Tuesday, we had a Scotland South Conference in Edinburgh. Which was a weird experience for me since it is my last Zone Conference. That being said, I had the opportunity to give a testimony along with all the other missionaries going home with me from these 3 zones. It was a really crazy feeling.

I feel like I just arrived. I can remember some of the departing testimonies that were given when I first came in and then all of a sudden I was standing up there giving mine! It was surreal!

Then after that they sent all us ancient missionaries to another room to have a self-reliance lesson from one of the senior couples. That was pretty good. We finally rejoined everybody after lunch and had some Zone instruction. I missed a little bit of that as well because President was doing some interviews and Elder Rodriguez and I were first on the list since we are the farthest away from Edinburgh. So that was really cool too!

It was an absolutely beautiful day as well! Couldn't ask for a better day! After the conference, we all headed back to the train and went back to Kilmarnock. We stayed another day for exchanges, and then we finally headed home! All in all, we left around lunch time on Monday, and got back home for lunch on Thursday! What a week!

We hit the ground running on Thursday and got right to street contacting. We had a few recent convert lessons here and there and then next thing I knew, I was headed to church again on Sunday! It was a really good week I feel! I learned a ton of things!

One thing I want to share is a scripture that I found a long time ago. It is 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

This scripture has some serious power! I hope we can all recognize more fully the Hand of the Lord in our lives! Love you all!!

-Till the Work is Done

-Elder Mickelsen

June 19, 2017

Well everybody! The time has come for another weekly update, which I personally find to be ridiculous. But anyway! This week was good. We had a really good district meeting AT A CASTLE! It was awesome! They wanted us to go somewhere to find peace and quiet and seek revelation. The request was on a "mountain" of sorts. So we found a hill, with a castle, hiked out to it as a District and then we talked and prayed and pondered and just had a good time. It was a really good meeting!

After that, we went on exchange, so Elder Rodriguez and I headed to Kilmarnock. That was a good time. Exchanges are always good! Get to see other missionaries, and then it's nice to see that the world still exists outside of little old Stranraer! So that was awesome! Had some good experiences teaching and finding. And it was refreshing really.

But then we headed back to Stranraer the following day, and the weather really picked up, so it was awesome to be down here! Just really sunny and nice and warm and everything! I did catch a cold later in the week, so that was kind of irritating talking to people. Here is a sample,

Me (to a member): Hello! How are you today?

Member: You're voice sounds different!

Me: Ya, I've got a bit of a cold

Member: I can tell. Must be awful having a cold this time of year!

Me: Oh ya! It isn’t the best

Member: Well have a good one!

Me:...

So I basically had this conversation more times than I want to talk about. Not all the time with members. But you would be surprised how often we run into members in the town centre. ALL THE TIME. It's a daily thing. I mean, we only have 15, but the town is where EVERYTHING is, so that is where they are!

This week, I started being obsessed with the Hymn, "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul" I have always loved this hymn, and there are some really good arrangements of it. I have 1 or 2. I was listening to them, and this line stuck to me, "Chasten my soul till I shall be in perfect harmony with thee"  I love this line. We have to ask the Lord to chasten us. He can't do much with us until we let Him, and once we let Him, He will bring us into perfect harmony with our Father in Heaven and Himself. This is the ultimate goal. To continually be repenting and changing and becoming better until we emulate the Savior's presence. We have to let him in, and invite Him to dwell with us. Then, and only then, can we say, "Make me more worthy of Thy love. And fit me for the life above"

Love you all!!

-Till the Work is Done

-Elder Mickelsen

June 12, 2017

So this week was really good! The weather was mental for summer, but I guess that is Scotland for you. We had alternating periods of freezing downpours, and then we would be roasting in the sun. In the same day. the morning would be Baltic, so you know, you put on an extra layer, and then come 3 o’clock, it feels like June again and you are dying because you are wearing said extra layer. So it's been fairly bipolar this week! haha! But it was good!

We had the opportunity this week to visit a few people and have some good conversations! First off, we met a guy named Kearon. He was pretty funny. He was absolutely hammered, but it was a functioning hammered. (Until my mission I didn’t know that was possible) but ya! He was a nice guy. He had met missionaries some 4 years ago and he recognized us and called us over to his corner of the alleyway. We just got talking and he was saying that a lot of his family had passed away and that he didn’t want to change religions. He opened up about some of his struggles, and we were able to tell him that he will see his family again and that God can help him. Also just joking around a bit as well. Even though he didn't want to meet or learn, he accepted a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and took our number. But it felt good to be able to tell him about God's plan for him.

Then we met this guy named Martin. He is a nice guy. He has met missionaries before as well. He is a former investigator and the friend of a member. So we ran into him in the street and he invited us over. He has got a lot of struggles as well. We talked to him about all the things that are possible with the gospel and shared some of 2 Nephi 2 with him. He liked it. He wants to have us over for dinner sometime so we will see how that goes. Hopefully he will decide to take the lessons again.

Other than that, we had a funny experience this morning. So lately, this dog has been going mental every night and every morning in our flat building. It only started 4 or 5 days ago. So somebody called the police when the dog was barking at about 1 am last night. So this morning the police came to our door. Now, it's not very often that we get people knocking OUR door, so I was curious. The Police officer just wanted to ask if we knew the person with the dog and if we had seen them lately. We were talking for a minute and after they finished their questions, they headed off. When I came back into the room, Elder Rodriguez was like, "Who was that?" and I said, "The Police" and he goes, "Why?" so I tell him what happened and he is like, "Oh that's good. When Police knock the door I think, OH NO! WHO DIE? SOMEONE DIE! I’M LEGAL!!"

So basically he was freaking out in the other room that the police were gonna ask if he was legal. (He is legal though, so nobody worry)

OH and earlier in the week, we were blessed with a particularly strong downpour, BUT there was no wind, so we were able to use UMBRELLAS. For anyone that is unaware, you might be thinking, "Elder, why don’t you use an umbrella all the time?" Well my answer in the 99.9% of the time, rain comes with some crazy wind. And wind's favorite food is umbrellas. They will eat it up and completely destroy it. And then once your umbrella is incapacitated, it will start raining harder. It's almost like a sick joke of nature. But anyway, we were in the town, and I got tired of holding my umbrella, so I decided to insert it in between my back and my backpack to see how it would work. And I will tell you, it was genius! Plus, I didn't even look that stupid! Well, Elder Rodriguez thought I looked dumb, but I felt like a beacon of ingenuity and clever wit on the street. Please see attached photo

Anyway! Love you all!

-Till the work is done

-Elder Mickelsen