February 29, 2016 LEAP YEAR!!!

Hello again everybody!  This week was nuts! It went by really super fast, and it also had a lot of stuff going on.  Holy cow, I'm exhausted after this week! But this week has made me see the importance of this work!

MONDAY- was LONG! We had spent the night at the Zone Leader's flat the night before so I could go and get my GARDA card in the morning.  (A GARDA card is basically an Irish Visa) So we woke up at about 3:30am and then we got ready so we could leave at 4:30 to get to the station by 5am.  So we got up, got ready and then the Elders that needed to get the cards waited outside the GARDA station until 8am.  It took forever and it was freezing! But we're all good.  I was prepared.  After we got let in, we started the process of getting the card.  Some missionaries told me that it would take all day but we got done in about an hour and a half.  So we were out and done by 9:30.  It was pretty great!

Afterwards, we got to hang around Dublin for a bit, and then we headed to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Done-Leary) to email.  After that, Elder Bates and I headed back to the flat and relaxed for a bit.  Then we went shopping.  Afterwards, we did some finding to finish off the night.  I finally went to bed at 9:30.  So I had had a very very LONG day.  But it's all good.

TUESDAY- We had District Meeting.  It was very good.  I gave some instruction on how to have an uplifting personal study and the rest of the meeting went really well actually.  After the meeting, we headed back to Bray.  We had lunch and then we went and visited a less active named, 'P.F.' He is a really nice guy.  We read Ether 2 with him and went over the concept of problem solving.  It was a good lesson.  We are starting to break through to him.  Sometimes he doesn't listen, but we finally got him engaged in the lesson this time.  Woo!  After 'P.F.', we went chapping for the rest of the day.  It was pretty good.  We didn't get any potentials, but the people were nice for the most part.

WEDNESDAY- was nuts.  We did finding all day.  All day.  We started off in a neighborhood that is relatively close to our flat, and then we headed to a neighborhood that is on the other side of town.  It was a long day.  Lots of people were talked to, but no one interested.  But it is all good.  We have our good investigators, so it's fine.  Then, on Wednesday night, we had dinner with 'T'.  She is an investigator.  She joined the church years ago and then she left and now she wants to join again, so we have been teacher her.  She made some good curry and chocolate pudding.  It was pretty good.  Then we gave her a blessing because she is sick.  Hopefully she gets better!

THURSDAY- was a nightmare!  We had to go to Wicklow for a service project, so we were supposed to catch a bus at 11:30 but Elder Bates forgot hi leap card back at the flat.  We had to run back and then we missed the bus.  So we waited another hour for the next bus, and when we got on, there wasn't enough money on his card for the ticket, so we had to get off. The next bus came 30 minutes later, so we ran back to the flat to grab some money and then we missed the next bus.  Finally at 2:45, we caught a bus and we were all good.  We went to a lady's house named 'A'.  She fed us a really big lunch and then we went out and mowed her lawn and clipped her hedges.  It was a good service project.  Then we headed back to Bray to teach our English class.  That went well.  We had 4 Brazilian students there.  So it was pretty fun.  But that was Thursday.

FRIDAY- To start off, we did some chapping in one of the neighborhoods we have been working on and then we went to the Branch Mission Leader's house for lunch, which was pretty great.  They made some dang good chili.  Then we headed back to Bray and did our weekly planning since we didn't get a chance to have it yesterday.  So we did our planning and then we had a few try by's later in the evening, but they fell through.  Turns out, one was a fake address as well  So it was a little bit of a bummer, but we just kept on going in the area to finish off the night.

SATURDAY-was pretty good.  We taught 'A'.  She is a really golden investigator! We taught her the Plan of Salvation last time and she told us this time that it really made sense to her.  So this time, we taught her about Prophets.  It was such a good lesson.  She was involved and actively participating.  It was great.  After that lesson, we headed home to grab some lunch and then we headed back out to do some finding.  It was pretty good.  We didn't find a lot of people during that time we were there, though.  So it was a little odd.  After that, we went to the church building to set up the chairs and fill out the progress record for our Branch correlation meeting tomorrow.  Then we went and taught the 'M' brothers.  They are two brothers who are less active but they are really good guys.  Then we finished off the night with some pizza from Apaches.  It was pretty great!

Elder Mickelsen and Elder Bates

SUNDAY- was good.  It was Branch Conference today so all the stake leaders were there.  They talked a lot about working towards our goals and working hard.  It was a really great meeting.  After that, Elder Bates and I had some lunch and then we went and did some finding while we waited for our dinner appointment with the Bundas.  It was a really good dinner appointment  The Bundas are a really great family.  We are teaching their son since he is getting ready for baptism.  It was a really great time.  After that, we headed home and awaited our moves call.  

And the verdict is: Elder Bates is leaving!  I will be staying in Bray!  I am really excited to stay! I really love it here!  I will be sad to see Elder Bates leave but we had some good times.

Anyway, that is my week!  It was crazy! Sometimes the work can be exhausting and demanding but it is all worth it in the end!

Til the work is done!

-Elder Mickelsen

February 22, 2016

Hello again everybody! This week has been lightning! So quick! It was just go, go, go! I am having so much fun! This week was filled with lots of travel, exchanges, and some really good times.  So here we go!

MONDAY- was p-day.  We just did our regular pday thing.  We were supposed to be in Dublin early to get my GARDA card but that was rescheduled to today (Feb 22) So anyway, we emailed and then we went and got hot chocolate, and then we headed back to the flat and we played Star Wars Imperial Assault.  It was a really fun board game that Elder Bates has.  That is how we wasted the rest of Pday.  Then we headed out and did some GQ-ing to finish out the day.  All in all, a pretty good day.

TUESDAY- We had District Meeting.  It was a pretty good meeting.  We talked a lot about the traits we need to be the best missionaries that we can be.  So it was a pretty great meeting.  After that, I went on exchange with Elder McCappin, our district leader.  He is from Australia.  We had to travel all the way down to the bottom of our area for a lesson with a recently reactivated member named, 'C'.  That was a dang long train ride.  Like, 2 hours.  It was crazy.  The lesson went well.  We covered the things we need to do to feel the Holy Ghost more in our lives.  So it was pretty great.  After that, we headed back home, ate some McDonald's and then did some GQing to finish off the night.

WEDNESDAY- was pretty good.  Elder McCappin and I spent the morning in Dun Laoghaire. We were GQing on the pier and we met this guy named 'E'.  He said he would like to learn and that he was available right then and there.  So we took him to a cafe and we taught him a little bit of a lesson.  Then he had a friend show up and we were able to teach her a bit as well.  She wasn't as interested, and 'E' doesn't live in our area.  But we did draw maps of the countries where we live, and everybody was rather impressed that I could draw America and give a rough outline of where the States are.  So that was a plus.  Then after that, we traveled back to Dublin to exchange back.  Then we came back and we had a lesson with 'P.F', a less active.  It went alright.  The Branch President wasn't us to do the self reliance lesson with him, but he really doesn't get much form them, so we suggested trying to teach the missionary lessons again.  So we'll see how that goes.  And that was Wednesday.

THURSDAY- was crazy!! We had to help a member move some furniture in the morning, but we got on the wrong bus since we had the wrong address for them.  So we got on the wrong bus since we had the wrong address for them.  So we ended up taking a few hours to try and find out where we were and to find buses and to get back where we needed to be.  Finally, we made it to them and we helped out.  So it all worked out in the end.  Then afterwards, we headed back to Bray and made some lunch and then did our weekly planning.  Which was pretty fun.  Then afterwards, we taught our English class.  It went pretty good.  We had the students give presentations on topics of their choice, so it went well.  Then we headed home and passed out for bed.

FRIDAY- was okay.  We taught 'C' which was alright.  We aren't' really sure if he wants to learn, or if he is just going for informational purposes.  He has moments that hint to both.  But we are supposed to keep teaching him this week, so we are gonna find out and then make some real progress.  Afterwards, we headed to Dun Laoghaire again.  But it was rough.  I was pretty sick that day, and I was trying to work through it, but I just realized that it would be better to rest than to kill myself in the rain and cold when I was as sick as I was.  So, I regretfully admit that I went back to the flat and took a nap for an hour to finish off the night.

SATURDAY- was awesome.  We started off the day by chapping in an area just next to our flat.  We are starting to get an organized plan of attack aging for this area now.  After that, we had some lunch, and then we GQed main street.  It was pretty happening.  Not any potentials, but it was all good.  We did teach a referral that we received, though.  It was him and his whole family! So we got 8 new investigators on Saturday!  Hopefully the whole family progresses, but we will see how it goes.  After that, we set up the chairs at the church, and then we went and saw, 'T.M.' It was a good lesson.  We read 2 Nephk 2 with him.  That is a dang good chapter.  I couldn't believe how good it was.  It just hit me in that lesson.  Anyway, after that, we headed home for the night after a good day's work.

SUNDAY- We had church, which was really good.  We had some good speakers and some less actives there, so it was a great day.  We also had a really good Elder's Quorum and Sunday School lesson as well.  So church was really good.  After that, we GQed around Bray and then we had a Dinner Appointment at President Bunda's house.  They make some pretty good food.  And we also shared a quick spiritual thought and we were able to talk about missionary work.  It was really rushed since we had to go back to our flat so the Zone Leaders could pick us up and take us to their flat to spend the night to come with us to get my GARDA card. (That is the story for next week).  And that was Sunday.  Well, that was my week!  It was awesome! I love missionary work more and more each day! It is the best! Nothing brings me more joy than to see people coming closer to Jesus Christ.  And nothing brings me more sadness than to see people drift further and further away.  The Church is true, this work is marvelous, and I love every last bit of it!

Til the Work is Done!

-Elder Mickelsen

February 15, 2016

Another week gone! Holy cow! This past week has been crazy! From talking to people and then finding a very interesting mystery odour in our flat, this week has been crazy! So buckle up and prepare yourselves, here we go.

MONDAY- is Pday.  So, we emailed and then we looked around Dun Laoghaire for a bit.  It is kind of a pain to have to take the train a half hour to the library, but it is a beautiful train ride.  It's absolutely, extremely legit.  So in Dun Laoghaire, we looked at some shops and then picked up some groceries.  Then we headed back to the flat and tried to plan our next Pday move.  Nothing much really came from it, as I am absolutely shattered form traveling all week, so we took a little bit of a rest day. (But now I am hyper as ever, so we are gonna go harder this week!) But Monday night we had a try by, but she decided she really wasn't interested, so we moved her record to the former section and went finding for the rest of the night.

TUESDAY- Low and behold, we went to Dublin!  Again! Thant means I have been to Dublin 5 times in the last 6 days.  It it pretty ridiculous, though.  I do love Dublin.  There are tons of people.  Definitely a good tourist place.  Couldn't live there though.  Anyway, we had our District Meeting, which was pretty good and then we traveled back to our area to go finding like mad.  We also had a lesson with 'A'.  She is the Au pair of one of the families in our brach and she is super solid.  She is from Brazil and is Catholic, but she does like some of the aspects of the Gospel.  We taught her and it was a really good spiritual experience.  It was pretty great  Afterwards, we went to go teach a less active named, 'P.F.'  He is so eccentric.  He lives alone and really likes video games so the branch president is trying to get us to teach the self-reliance lessons to him, so it went okay.  It was weird talking to someone who knows a lot about video games, though.  I haven't had that in a while.  There are a ton of gamers in Bray.  Sometimes it be a bit annoying, but it's all good.  Then after we taught 'P.F.', we did some more finding and chapping in the area and then we headed home for dinner and bed.  I am really looking forward to the sun staying up longer.  This whole dinner at 8 thing is starting to get annoying.  But the sun stays up longer and longer each day.  Woo!!

WEDNESDAY- was okay, we did some GQ-ing in Dun Laoghaire but it was kind of unfruitful.  It was Ash Wednesday though, so there were a ton of people with ash on their foreheads.  It took me a while to figure that one out.  The people here are nicer, but they still don't really want to hear it.  Lots of atheists here.  It's pretty fun.  After that, we went to Greystones and did some chapping then we came home and went to bed.

THURSDAY- We had our weekly planning.  It was fun.  We are sifting through our teaching pool making sure that we prioritize those who are progressing the best.  We want to help these people progress!  After that, we went to a neighborhood to go chapping.  Not many people were home, though.  But, we did get to talk to some nice people and that made the day.  We also taught English again tonight.  We did mock job interviews as well as teaching the students some basic interview and applicant dialogue.  It was a good lesson.  Afterwards, the night was done, so we turned in for bed.

FRIDAY- Today was pretty good.  We went and taught a guy named 'C'.  He is an interesting one.  He has all these questions about things that don't really matter, and it is hard to get hime to focus on the simple doctrines, but we are working with him.  Hopefully, he will start to progress.  After that, we went back to the neighborhood we were in the other day and we finished that off for the rest of the night.  Nothing much to really report for Friday.  Oh, it was Lincoln's birthday though.  So happy b-day, Abe!

SATURDAY- was pretty fun.  We went to Dalkey in the morning, which is a nice little tourist town right on the ocean.  It was really beautiful.  We had a try by of a guy that we found on a teaching record we found under our couch! So that was fun!  We then headed to Eddie Rockets for lunch which is like an American style 50's diner.  It was pretty good.  They have some dang nice sweet potato fries.  We also went to the church to set up the chairs for sacrament meeting.  And then we also filled out the progress record for this week so we would have it for Branch Correlation in the morning.  And we typed out a list of scriptural references for 'A' on the Plan of Salvation.  After that, we stopped home to drop some things off and we smelled it.  The most disgusting, sour, awful smell I have ever smelled.  Upon further investigation, we found out that someone had given us tupperware full of chili before I got here, and that it had somehow come open and had been leaking for who knows how many days.  It leaked through the bag it was in, and all over the floor.  Don't ask why it wasn't in the fridge.  I have no idea, and quite frankly I have been trying to figure it out myself.  Anyway, after discovering the rancid chili juice, we went to the Tesco across the street and picked up some cleaning supplies and cleaned the kitchen.  The missionaries before us had left it pretty disgusting and it was about time for a good clean.  Elder Bates and I came out on top.  We cleaned the heck out of the place and now it feels like a whole new flat.  It's awesome!  Then it was time for bed.

SUNDAY - was great! We had one investigator at church, so that was awesome.  Her name is 'H' and she has been coming to church for along while now.  She really enjoys it.  She just needs to be baptized now.  I also got the chance to meet some more of the members.  We have a lot of nice people in the branch.  It was a good meeting, although the room is tiny-ish, we had a great meeting.  After church, we had some lunch and then went and tried by 'H's house to see if we could meet with her this week.  We met her Dad outside, who is also investigating, and he said he would call us with a time.  Then we did some finding in the area, and headed back to make some calls to finish off the night.  All in all, a pretty good day.

So that is my week! Kinda slow, but still pretty awesome.  Bray is a good place.  I really love it here. Just remember that the Lord has a purpose for everyone being where they are in that exact moment. You never know when someone is noticing you! And something amazing can come from something unknown!  Love you all!

Til the work is done!

-Elder Mickelsen