January 25, 2016

All the Elders came to support Elder Nathan Reid (Cody's hugging him) who just got set apart and is heading to the
Salt Lake City Mission
(Elders Plewe, Parkinson, Penman, Reece, White & Richards)

Another week has come and gone in the blink of an eye!  Hard to believe that January is almost over! I've been gone 6 months already! HOLY COW! Anyway, here's how this last week went…

MONDAY- was Pday. Woohoo!  We did our emailing and some hanging out around Lisburn.  We didn't need to shop since Elder Tolk's parents sent us a shipment of groceries over the weekend, so we were set! (Shout out to Elder Tolk's parents though!) And then for the rest of Monday, we decided to just rest for a while.  I didn't realize how tired I was until I laid down to rest.  That was nice.  After that, we went over to the Harness home for Family Home Evening and dinner, which was very legit.  Then we turned in for the night!

TUESDAY- was awesome!  We had our Zone Interview Training!  It was a good meeting.  We talked a lot about how we can apply the message for real and how to be better missionaries!  It was actually really nice to have a lesson where we learn how to apply our knowledge in real world scenarios and not just have a deep doctrine lesson.  Some missionaries get really into their doctrine and think that we need to be basically living the Law of Moses.  I get a little tired of people taking tiny things and then blowing it up into an hour long sermon.  Honestly.  The Gospel is simple.  Don't over complicate it.  Over complication leads to a sense of worthlessness and thinking that you just can't be what Heavenly Father wants you to be.  So please don't over complicate things!  

Anyway, the rest of the day was good.  We were able to learn some good stuff!  After the conference, Elder Tolk and I went to Portadown for an exchange and I got to drive!  It was so awesome!! I loved it so much!  I was on exchange with the District Leader, Elder White.  It was a good day.

Elder Nathan Reid (who is from Lisburn)
He got called to the Salt Lake City Mission

WEDNESDAY-was pretty good as well.  We were still in Portadown, (and I was still driving.  Did I mention that it is awesome?)  And we went around and GQ-ed all day.  Lots of the people in Portadown are Portuguese so Elder White GQ's them in Portuguese while I just stand there and smile.  It was a good exchange, though.  After that, we drove back up to Belfast and went to the Worldwide Missionary Broadcast.  It was so good.  I received even more instruction on how I can get people to understand the importance of our message.  We are the only church that saves, and I desire the salvation of all souls. 

We then went to McDonald's and headed home.

THURSDAY- was pretty great.  We had our weekly planning, which didn't take very long and then Elder Tolk had a doctor's appointment.  So, we traveled to the doctor and I got to watch the World Championship Bowls on the TV in the waiting area.  If you ever want to feel so much excitement as to be compared to watching a lawn bowls game, shoot yourself in the neck with an elephant tranquilizer dart.  That is a pretty good comparison to how it was.  After the doctor, we headed back to our area and we chapped around for a bit.  No one really wanted to talk us, but no bother!  We just went to the city centre and GQ-ed all the people there.  Really eventful day, that one.

FRIDAY- was pretty fun.  We went to Dunmurry and hunted down a fake address.  Surprise! Surprise! But, when we did call the apartment number, an older lady answered and we asked if she would let us in anyway, and she said no.  So we headed back to Lisburn to spread the good word there!  We were supposed to meet a couple at the church, but they didn't show.  Nevertheless, the good work will roll on.  We did teach our investigators, 'G' and 'A', though.  And that was good.  We had a good spiritual lesson with them.  I think they will progress, but it might not be as speedily as we would like.  But this work is so great!  After that, we traveled to a member's house to teach her the first discussion.  She is kind of lonely so we were really just there for company.  But, she liked hearing the first lesson.  Good day!

SATURDAY-was good.  We taught 'T' and we had a really good lesson with him.  I think we finally broke through.  He committed to come to church and we have a plan and everything to get him there.  Hopefully it works out.  Then we went to the Galley and had some lunch.  Then we GQ-ed the rest of the day away.  We are finding some good potentials.  I am excited for what the future holds!

SUNDAY- was pretty great.  We had church, and we got 'T' there!!! Woohoo!!! And church was really good as well.  After church, we did some finding and then we had a dinner appointment at 5:00 WHICH LASTED FOR 4 HOURS!!! It was absolutely insane.  We were at the mercy of our ride and he was just chatting away.  But there really isn't much to talk about on Sunday since we were in the Eternal Dinner Appointment.  But it was a good day nonetheless!

Anyway, that was this past week! A good one indeed!

PONDERIZE: 3 Nephi 11:15

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into His side, and did feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surely and did bear record, that it was He, of whom it was written by the Prophets, that should come.

Til the work is Done!

-Elder Mickelsen