So my new flat address is 138 Tomswood Hill Essex. There are other mailing details to that but I have forgotten them. For our zone pday we played basketball and capture the flag for like three hours so I am dog tired right now.
Ok Ilford is absolutely amazing! I taught more in two days then I did the whole of last transfer. The chapel is almost right next to the town center (Ilford Lane right next to the Sansbury’s) and that is were we do almost all of our teaching. So whenever we have spare time we just stand in front of the doors and invite people in for a chapel tour. We show them around the chapel and explain about the sacrament then take them to the baptistery and teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ and if the spirit is strong we invite them to be baptized and people have gotten really excited about it!! The area is mostly Indian and Pakistani with a couple of Africans mixed in every now and then. Most of them are here as students and have never heard of Christianity and when they find out they love it! It is so cool. One guy named Sanka came in to see if we could help him find a flat and to help him get on a local cricket club and then we taught him and now he is a proper progressing investigator he even came to church this week. Honestly so much has happened in this last four days I could tell you about it for ten hours... if I could remember it all. It is a shame that I don’t really even have time to write all of it in my journal:/
Elder Scruggs is amazing. He is not one of those exceptional missionaries that just blow everyone away with his testimony or even his knowledge of the gospel. What make is the difference in him is that he is diligent and obedient. I love D&C 130: 20-21 that all blessings are predicated on obedience. It is so true! It is like a mathematical equation. Input=output. Obedience=blessings. Elder Scruggs’ dad was the mission president of grandmas mission in Australia and he left from there when he was 18 to come here. Funny thing I'm actually older then him. But he said that he remembered Grandma!! How freakin cool is that? He is the perfect person to work with. It is like I'm getting retrained all over again. Good thing too cause I was really needing it!
Yes, we did have baptisms this week. Three of them. I got my information wrong we are to have five baptisms in January and we have a goal to have at least three in February... with this area it is totally possible. How cool is this. The ward council has limited us to only having baptisms every other week because all the baptisms were draining on the ward! This area is so blessed. My faith has totally been restored in missionary work! I was so happy to get the chance to speak at the baptism on the Holy Ghost. It was a simple talk but it was so good for me to reaffirm my testimony and bear it again. That has become my favorite thing to do now. The confirmations were a bit hilarious how they played out. Our bishop is from Africa Bishop Onulopu and the Africans are known for being bold and blunt. Like for instance a recent convert was complaining about a missionary getting moved out of the area and said that President Patch should have known better. A Ghanaian member the told him that because he was rejecting and not sustaining the revelation given to a presiding priesthood holder he was 'engaging in personal apostasy' HA that has become one of my most favorite phrases. So only one of the recently baptized members showed up to church on time so we confirmed him during the ward business... that was amazing then after the sacrament another one walked in and we confirmed him almost before he sat down. Then the last one showed up during the talks and we confirmed him before the closing song. It was so funny cause Bishop Onulopu called them out and rebuked them in a very African way for being late... from the stand! It was Awesome.
You want to know the secret to missionary work? Well here it is Diligence and Obedience. Simple as that when you show the Lord that you want to work He will give you things to do. I remembered just now, that when I was in Bedford while I was just sitting upbraiding myself for being a useless missionary while my companion slept and my brothers and sisters perished spiritually out sid,e I would pray for a way to get out of the house and do something. Almost every time shortly thereafter, we would get a phone call that a member needed help with something or they had too much pizza and wanted to give us some. If we are faithful with obedience we will be blessed.
Pdays are supposed to be a missionary’s day of rest but that is not the case. We have so much to do we don’t have an idea where to start. I have not had breakfast in four days. We haven’t had time to shop and I don’t have any money to do any shopping. Because of transportation issues I have already used all of my money for the month so I have been eating 'cheap chicken' every day for lunch then nothing for the rest of the day. It is so crazy the whole flat just smells like southern fried chicken. The church also... that is probably why people like to come in.
One of the best experiences this week happened yesterday after church. Normally we grab two of the investigators who were at church and teach them a quick lesson with a member before they leave. I grabbed Abraham (investigator from Cyprus) and Gift (baptized this weekend) and taught the Restoration. It was so good to hear Gift’s testimony of how he learned about the restored gospel. Yea, so Abraham wants to be baptized now. Love it!
Quick notes about Africans they have the best names. I have heard Gift, Heaven, Queen, Prince, Sunshine and many other cool names like it.
Brigg, I was so happy to get your letter my reply is in the mail.... if I finish it today.
Love you all,
Elder Solomon
PS. good luck boys with your wrestling matches please give me and update on you record:)
