Happy Mother's Day!

May 9 2016

Happy mother's day to all you moms out there!! Hope you all had a wonderful day and that you all got spoiled. But I will talk more about that in the end. Let’s get into the week.

This week started off really good but let’s do the bad before we do the good shall we. So we had this amazing investigator named T........ and we have been working with him for a really long time and he was so close to baptism the only thing he had to do left was come to church and to stop smoking. He got a patch for his smoking and he was about there. Until about after the 5th time of him saying he will be at church and then doesn't show up, we had to drop him, which is the hardest thing to do as a missionary is drop one of your investigators and especially when the lad, is such a brotha from Jamaica! But that was a sad note to the week. Now let’s get into the good shall we.

Our chapel

So first off we had Interviews with President Pilkington this last Friday and me and Elder Cottrell had to wake at 4:00am -  4 AM people!!! In order to catch a bus up to the church and to warm up the building since it was at our chapel, luckily here in England the sun comes up at like 4:30 so that's always nice I guess, and then it gets dark at like 10:00-  it’s a weird phenomenon. But anyways this interview with President was really good and the last one that we are going to have since he goes home next month sadly! But it was great we were able to have nice little laugh together which was good. It’s going to be so weird to have a new Mission President but we will wait and see how that goes! But that was a good time, next interview will be with President Turvey!

Also this week because the sun is out, I promise people become just so nice, the ice cream trucks are going and no joke kids are running around with barely any clothes on, and you see people having English barbeques, which are not the same as ours, but they are great! But people are just so nice during the summer time here. So because of this we were able to meet a lady named E....... E........ is from Iceland and she has a really cool accent, so we met her on Wednesday and then we went back and taught her on Thursday. And it was a great lesson out in her back garden and the sun was out, and she was so interested in learning about the church! We invited her for baptism and she was open to the idea, but wasn't too keen on choosing a day right now, but at the end of the lesson she said, "So my only question is, can I come to a Sunday service, before I get baptized?" I tried first not to laugh, but then I excitedly told her that we would love for her to come to church, so we hope that she will be able to come next week.

what I look like after a long day! 

Then with our current investigator S......, he was able to come to church this week for his first time which was really awesome!! He shows up in his beanie and baggie trousers which was awesome and he said that he had a good time. He liked how there was actually young people in our church rather than just old people. I guess here in England the only people that really go to church anymore are the old people! so next time all you parents are about to complain about a young man or women doing something weird or distracting, count the blessing of having young people in a church who are willing to serve and do what the lord has asked them to do. But yeah it was a good time with S...... at church so that was great!!

Now for mother’s day. It was so fun to be able to Skype home with my family and be able to talk to all of them, and see their faces. Sadly my little niece Remie hasn't quite warmed up to the idea of talking to someone on the computer (it was nap time apparently)  but I will get a better response some day! haha, but it was a great experience to see them and I am so grateful for the wonderful family that I have and for the support that they give me. But of course I just want to publicly thank my amazing mother! I have the most amazing mum in the Entire UNIVERSE! I can’t even describe how much she has helped me out in my life and continues to put a smile on my face every time I get something from her, even when it’s a  piece of paper with a funny picture on it! She is amazing I love her so much! Love you mum! 

But everyone- do NOT take for granted the blessing it is to have mothers in our lives. It mentions moms too much in the scriptures for us to take it likely! "No mortal love can ever be closer to the love of the Savior, than a loving mother for her Child" They are the purest examples of Christ and help us more than ever can imagine. Look at the 2,000 stripling soldiers and how their mothers influenced them and how your mom has always influenced you to do good, to be our best and to respect others. So important are mums, that one of the last things that the savior said was "behold thy mother." Mums our in the world you have a divine role from heaven, do not let it be taken likely. You do amazing things, no effort is wasted. Thank you for the love and example that you show to all of us!

Random Pic of me by E. Cottrell

me & Elder Poggemann

Love Elder Hanks