April 17, 2017

Elder Ritchie, Steven & Elder Mickelsen
Baptized April 15, 2017

HEEEEELLLOOOOOOO everybody!!! This week was awesome! So much good stuff! From good weather and EASTER, to having a baptism this weekend!!! It was such an awesome week! 

So basically, the highlight of my week was the weekend. Throughout the week we were all over the place. We had a District P-Day at the beach in Ayr, where we made a Law of Chastity sandcastle, and then we played soccer on the grass by the beach! It was really great!!

Then we went back to Kilmarnock, which is the DL's area and we had an exchange after a district meeting. That was really good. My DL right now is Elder Cropper, so it was fun to go on exchange since we were companions all the way back in Coleraine!! So that was good! Then we spent the night in Kilmarnock again, and headed back to Stranraer on Wednesday.

We had Steven get a baptismal interview, which he passed, and then we brought Steven and the Kilmarnock Elders over to a house to do a service project. We pulled out rhododendron bushes. If any of you are planning now or in the future to plant rhododendrons, I beg with you, please reconsider. Their roots reach all the way down to the depths of hell, and they do not like to be removed. And we had to remove 6. But it was really good fun! Good work out as well!

But then we went and taught Book of Mormon class and then just crashed! It was a long day! So the next couple of days we had finding to do, and then on Saturday, Steven was baptized. And lemme tell you, there is nothing more spiritual than watching someone you know enter the waters of baptism. It was such a rewarding experience to see Steven make this step in his life. It was good to see all of our hard work pay off as well!

That evening, we got our moves call and I will be staying in Stranraer! My new companion is named Elder Rodriguez! He is from Colombia, and that is all I have been able to find out about him. Elder Ritchie is moving to Kirkcaldy in Dundee Zone. Which is where we predicted he would go!

And then on Sunday we had our Easter service. And it was a good one. Because not only did we have all the good talks and things planned, but we also had Steven's confirmation. Which I had the opportunity to do. It was so awesome. The Spirit truly does tell you what the Lord would have you say. I have this really bad habit of thinking about what I am going to say. But then I get up and begin the blessing and I don't say anything that I thought about, but it all turns out really well. And that is because we aren't the real bosses. The Lord is, and if we are ready to receive instruction and words, then we will receive it. It's just so good! After church we gave Steven the priesthood as well, and that was a really awesome experience too. To be in a tiny branch is really humbling.

To see how much each member does and to see how much they treasure new members, truly an eye opening experience. It was just a really baller week!

Jesus is the Christ, and He is Risen!!! 

Love you all!

April 10, 2017

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I forgot to write a weekly update last week! And I have absolutely no idea how I spaced that one. I got on the train to go home and I was like, "Oh man, I forgot to write an update!" So this will be an update from the past two weeks.

Basically the highlight of the past two weeks was that we have made some real good progress with Steven. He is really prepared, and we just finished teaching him all the lessons as of Saturday night (8 Apr). And his baptismal interview is this coming Wednesday! So we are really excited for that! And then, all going well, his baptism is this Saturday! So we are so stoked! It has just been one miracle after another for Steven and we are really excited for him and this next step that he is taking. 

Other than that, there has been a stomach bug going around, so we were house ridden for a day or two, but we had the chance to meet with some people and as well to do a lot of finding. And one thing that I have learned from the past couple weeks is that if you don't read the Book of Mormon, or pray, or come to church often, then you can begin to doubt why you even believed in the first place. BUT! If you begin doing those things, and doing them diligently, I might add, then you can begin to grow closer to God again, and you will know exactly why you believe.

Too many times I have met with members of the church, and they are struggling, more often than not, they are new members, and the simple thing that we tell them is that they need to do some spiritual CPR. Church, Pray, Read. If you do that, you will be absolutely fine. And it is an amazing thing!! And this I know to be true.

Love you all!!

--

Till the Work is Done

- Elder Mickelsen

March 27, 2017

This past Monday, we taught a guy named Andrew, and he Hello everybody! This past week was awesome! I loved it! The weather was smashing here! Absolutely amazing! It’s been like 60 degrees and sunny everyday! Fantastic! We also had a good time to go finding and do quite a bit of service this week!

is from America, but he has lived in Stranraer for a while now. So we met up with him and had some lunch and taught him about the Holy Ghost, and that was pretty solid. So he is gonna meet up with us this upcoming week. So that was awesome!

We also met a few times with a guy named Steven. Steven has been investigating for a while and he is a legend. So he came to church this week and he wanted to learn about baptism, so we taught him and then he accepted a baptismal date! He said that before, the concept of baptism scared him, but now he is getting more comfortable with it. It was a really good day. We were with him for 2 hours on Sunday since he was the only one for priesthood and gospel principles. So it was so great! The Branch really likes him as well! I like small branches for that reason. They get to be really tight knit! It's awesome! But we are excited for Steven and his willingness to change! 

Other than that, we have just been finding and sunbathing at the same time! haha! But it has been really amazing these past few weeks here in Stranraer! 

I want to share a quote with you guys! I found it this week! And it has reshaped my outlook on things! It's so baller! Here it is! 

“How often – even before we began – have we declared a task “impossible”? And how often have we construed a picture of ourselves as being inadequate? . . . A great deal depends upon the thought patterns we choose and on the persistence with which we affirm them.” 

― Piero Ferrucci

I think this quote is so great! Especially when we look at goal setting and making our wants become reality! This quote also takes on a whole new meaning when we bring Jesus Christ into the equation. With Him, no task is ever really truly "impossible".

Love you all! 

--

Till the Work is Done

- Elder Mickelsen