October 10, 2016

Hello from Dumbarton, Scotland!

This week has been awesome! We had a ton of fun! I am just going to share a quick few highlights, and then the rest of the time was pretty much spent finding! And finding is awesome!!

So most of the week we were in and around Helensburgh, which is east of Dumbarton. It is a really beautiful town and it is pretty good for finding since it has a large public square and lots of waterfront walks. So we spent most of the week there.

The best part of the week was definitely the weekend though! We went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders in Glasgow City Center. Holy cow. That was awesome! There were so many flippin people! It was great! There were occasions where I was shoulder to shoulder with people! It was so great! I was like, "Hi how are ya? Hi how are ya? Hi how are ya? Hi how are ya? and so on and so on. It was awesome! I talked to this group of people from Cork in Ireland after they were like, "Hey mormons!" So I went over and answered their questions about the church!" Basically taught the restoration and the plan of salvation and the word of wisdom and the law of chastity! So that was pretty fun! It was just an energizing day!

So many people, there are other missionaries, and there were so many cool street performers! It was so incredible! Tons of bagpipes and stuff! Drums and hipster bands! It was absolutely amazing! Well, I felt flippin’ mentally exhausted when I finally sat down at my flat that evening, but it was so worth it! They also sell Krispy Kreme donuts in the city center, so we of course, had to go for those! It was such an amazing day!

Then on Sunday, we had 5 investigators at church! It was awesome! A couple that we have met with came, and then a family in the ward brought some of their friends as well! We were talking to them and they said they really enjoyed it, so hopefully we can begin teaching them and have them come out more often! It was amazing! And then we had an awesome dinner appointment with this family in the ward, and they had mountains of food! It was so awesome! There was like 15 people at this dinner! It was so good! And then we had a good spiritual discussion about cheerfully doing all that we can do. (D&C 123:17) Just a really solid weekend! 

Something that I wanted to share from my studies is this: It is 3 Nephi 15:9

 9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

This scripture hit me this morning, and I think it perfectly sums up what we need to do in the Gospel. If we Look unto Christ, and we continually strive to come unto Him, we shall live. We shall have eternal life. Here he is referencing the children of Israel looking at the brass serpent. Because all they had to do was look, a lot of them died. They thought it was too easy and they refused to do it. But here he tells us once more, to look, and save ourselves from spiritual death. His Plan is perfect, and he will save us!

Love you all! 

-Till the Work is Done!

-Elder Mickelsen

October 3, 2016

A Sad Farewell to my Beloved Ireland

Hello everybody! This week began with one of the saddest moments of my life, and then it got better! This week was just some real power! It has been so great! I have loved it!

So, on Monday, Elder Cropper and I went and emailed, and then we went and got our last Chequers together! (Chequers is a fantastic Fish and Chips restaurant) Twas intense! I am gonna miss that place! And then the rest of Monday, I was packing after we looked around town a bit, and then we didn't even get to go to FHE since we had to be in Belfast earlier than usual! So that was a bummer!  We left for Belfast that night and stayed with the ZL's at their flat.

 

Inside the Ferry to Scotland

Then, on Tuesday, I got up at 4 in the morning and got ready and dressed since we had to leave the flat at 5:00am to get to the ferry terminal on time.  Well we left, and it turns out that the terminal didn't even open until 6:00, and the actual ferry didn't leave until 730!! So, I arrived 2 hours early. Plus, I am traveling by myself, so that was bit odd. The ZL's and Elder Cropper waited for the terminal to open and then we said goodbye and I was left to my lonesome. So, I just wrote in my journal while I waited for the ferry and then wrote some more once I got on the ferry. I also snagged some breakfast at the restaurant that they have on board.

 

Got me a delicious chocolate shake to ease the emotional pain!!

One of the saddest things that I went through that morning, was waving goodbye to Ireland. I love Ireland so much! It killed to leave! I had learned so much and grown so much there that I couldn't believe I was leaving! It was killer! I looked out the window, and to make things more dramatic, it was a really foggy day and the window had rain dropping down it and there was a very blue over tone. I was like, "dang... there it goes..."

Hopefully I can serve there again before I am done!

 

Arrived at the Scottish port town of Helensburgh and waited to meet my new Companion

The ferry ride was nice, and then I took a bus from Stranraer, which was great, too. It was quite relaxing being by myself, but also kind of weird. I was alone for 8 hours! When I finally arrived in Glasgow, there wasn't anybody to pick me up, so I just sat down and waited on a bench until the missionaries arrived.

We spent the day in Glasgow, and I had to carry my luggage all over that flipping city again. (I invite you to read my first email, in the which I chronicle my hectic journey to the Emerald Isle, and a main focus is literally running through Glasgow with all my luggage.) Ahhhhhh, memories! Am I right!!! Haha! Then we headed to Dumbarton in the evening, and unpacked our stuff.   My companion, Elder Milburn, and I are whitewashing. So we both have no idea about the area. He has only been out for 12 weeks, and he is English. He's from London, so that is fun! The whole situation is crazy because we are starting fresh in this area!

 

Elder Milburn and I having an ice cream in Helensburgh

The rest of the week was pretty similar. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we were GQing in the different towns of the area. Wednesday we also went home teaching with a member, so that was pretty fun.

Saturday, we headed over to a members house for dinner and General Conference, which was really awesome! It was a really nice family that loves missionaries!

And then on Sunday, we spent the entire day in the Glasgow Stake Center watching General Conference! It was like the super bowl for us! It was awesome! Then a member from Dumbarton fed all the missionaries in the Zone and it was awesome! So good! Lots of leftovers and yummy snacks! So great! Plus, conference was really solid! I loved it! My favorite talk was President Uchtdorf on the Saturday Morning session on the Plan of Salvation! It was so good! The Bretheren are putting a huge focus on the Book of Mormon, and enduring to the end! I would invite each of you to apply the Book of Mormon more in your life! Whatever role it has played so far, make it play a bigger one! It is a Book that can truly change your life and outlook on the world. It is inspired of God! 

This week has been nuts, but I have loved every moment of it! I love this Gospel and I love Jesus Christ! And I love you all as well!

--

Till the Work is Done

- Elder Mickelsen

September 26, 2016

Elder McDaniel and Elder Mickelsen
We just met this week during exchanges and are both
from Idaho and live only 10 miles apart!

I apologize for the fans of the earlier system of writing the email, but I am just going to switch over to a highlight reel type email. At least, for a little while.

Most of the time, I just state the highlights and then the rest of the time would be finding and sleeping. So, with that in mind, I will begin to enlighten your minds on the current state of Coleraine, after another week with the Elders of Israel laboring within her boundaries.

So, this week was actually really good. It was moves call week, so there was something to look forward to at the end of the week. It is a really fun time. I really enjoy it. So we taught Lauraine on Monday evening, and then went over to FHE. Where we dominated the quiz! Woo! But Lauraine's lesson was alright. She is a bit closed off and it takes a minute to get her to open up, but we committed her to read the Book of Mormon, and she agreed! So that was awesome!

We also had DM which was actually really good! We had a really big focus on the Book of Mormon, so that was awesome! We had everyone bear testimony of the Book of Mormon, and it ended up being a really powerful meeting! Then we came back to Coleraine and taught Isobel, and that lesson went really well actually. We just talked about the church and her BoM reading and it was pretty solid! She is progressing well!

The next day we got flu shots, and that was interesting. The flappin thing got me sick! But then that evening we went over and saw Trevor, and read, that's right, the Book of Mormon with him. It was really good! We are just finishing 2 Nephi, so that is solid!

Thursday we had BoM class, (see what I mean by having a BoM week?) and that went well. It was just Alwyn, so we only read one chapter, but it was still good. It was Mosiah 4. There are some really powerful things in Mosiah 4. I would invite all of you to give it another read! It is so good!

 Afterwards, we went over and had some hot chocolate with a guy named James, not the investigator James, but the James that just takes us out occasionally. So that was awesome! Had some really baller hot chocolate. It is starting to get cold here, so it's a bonus! 

The next day, we had exchanges with the Derry Elders, and I was with Elder McDaniel. He is from Menan! I can’t believe he lives 10 miles from my house in Idaho! So that was really awesome to have someone that knows the terminology and the area! We had a really good time! Elder McDaniel just finished his first transfer, so he is brand new!

So we taught Isobel, and then we spent the remainder of the day finding! It was awesome! Rained all day! Woo! Rainy season is coming!

The next day we went and saw Katrina and she committed to come to church! So that was some progress, and then we had burgers with her. So that was awesome! 

Sunday, we had church, and that was solid! Katrina came! So that was awesome! She did really well! And then after church we went finding and then we went and saw a lady named Isabel. And while we were there, we got moves call!

I am going to Dumbarton in Scotland!!! It is just outside Glasgow! So I am going to Scotland! It is really exciting! I am really sad to leave Ireland behind, but I am excited to see some more bits of the mission!

But after that, we went over and saw Trevor and read some more of the Book of Mormon and said goodbye! I really have loved this area! Definitely coming back soon! 

But that was my week! It was pretty awesome!! I am excited for my adventurous week this week! It should be really good! Love you all!

-Till the Work is Done!

-Elder Mickelsen

September 20, 2016

Wearing my birthday tie my mom sent:)

Sweet Sister Dunn made this awesome cake!

This week was great!

I don't really want to type out a big long play-by-play this week, mostly because it was basically the same thing every day. But we did teach our investigators and really get down to the nitty gritty of conversion. We are working to resolve James' concerns, and as well as working with Isobel to continue strengthening her testimony so she will be ready to be baptized!

So that was the awesome parts of this week! We had a few run-in's with some really ‘anti’ people on the street and it was quite annoying. It was stupid really. But people will be people. The work will continue! The week ended with my birthday, (thanks to everybody who wished me a happy birthday!) So this week was really good! But I would like to share something from my study this week!

It is from Alma 34:8-17

8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true.  Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

These verses really describe to us the necessity of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through no other person or name can we get to the Celestial Kingdom of God and live for eternity with our families. It is the most important event to transpire in the history of ever. For the inhabitants of the universe, the Atonement stands as the "Great and Last Sacrifice" and Christ stands with open arms to receive all those that repent and come unto Him.

In Him we will find Light, Life, and Truth. In Him we will find Salvation and Exaltation. In Him we shall inherit all that the Father has and have Eternal Life and Happiness.

I love you all! I thank you for your support! I love my mission and I love the Lord! Sorry for the lacking content of the letter! I will do better next week! Talk to you all soon!!!

Painting Sister Dunn's shed

Elder Cropper working' hard!

Out in the Town Centre preaching the Word!

-Til the Work is Done

-Elder Mickelsen