October 26, 2015

Here is today's e-mail - 

Hey so this week has been kinda crazy.  Tuesday we had Zone Interview Training which was really good. That took up pretty much the whole day. It was at the Dundee stake center so it was about an hour bus ride. 

Wednesday we had a meeting with our ward mission leader in the morning. Then we went out to Brechin again to do some finding. Then we went to the Newton's who the sisters were working with and we had a really good lesson so Wednesday was really good.

Thursday after weekly planing we went to Fred nothing new there, but then we went to the Glanvilles for dinner which as always is super fun.

Friday the big thing we did was we went and met a family that the sisters were teaching, the Ewarts. The Dad is Scottish and the Mom is Russian but they are really cool. The member we brought with us, Sister Maxton, is good friends with them and even after we left at 8:00 she stayed and talked with them till 10:30 and they are really good. They even came to church on Sunday and the whole ward was talking to them so they are doing really good.

Saturday we did service at the British Heart charity shop were they had a nice pair of boots just my size - and the best part - brand new. So I got a nice pair of boots for under £20. Then we went to Fred's and for two hours helped clean his flat with the Hayballs. Then the Hayballs took us to their flat and we had dinner with them since they are trying to get rid of all the food they still have. Then they gave us a lift back to the flat.

Sunday church was really good, it was the primary program and the kids did pretty good. After church there was a munch and mingle so the Ewarts got to meet the whole ward. But the best part of the week happened after church I got a call from the Austins (the family he taught in Cumbernauld last winter/spring)! They called to invite me to their baptism and asked if I would baptize two of them and Elder Rogers would baptize the other two. So I called President Donaldson to see if I could and he said he would see. They are getting baptized Saturday morning and me and Elder Kemp will be at the mission home Friday night for dinner. President Donaldson invited one family that we are teaching, the White family, to dinner with him, so hopefully I will be able to just go to Glasgow from the mission home! Hopefully I will have some picture of the baptism to send to you next week!

Love and miss you!

October 19, 2015

Here is the e-mail we got from Mason today -   

 

This week was pretty good.So Tuesday we had district meeting in Dundee then I went on exchanges with our,district leader's companion who wasn't feeling good so it was a flat day. Except for Tuesday night cause Fred had his baptismal interview in Dundee with Pres. Donaldson. Fred won't be getting baptized really anytime soon. 

 

Wednesday after exchanges we went and saw Fred again, then I don't really remember what we did - most likely just finding. 

 

Thursday we made a progress record for the people we are working with. Then it was out to Arbroath to see Fred. After that we went to meet a girl that Elder Kemp and our district leader talked to on exchanges but she gave them a false address. Then we had dinner at the Glanville's which is always fun. After that was ward council. That was Thursday.

Friday we spent most of our day in a town called Brechin we just did some finding and also met an older couple that the sisters were teaching. They are pretty cool and solid so teaching them will be nice. And that was really the noteworthy stuff for Friday.

Saturday we did service at British Heart then back out to Brechin to meet with someone we talked to the day before but he was busy when we came by so nothing happened there. We also saw Fred again.

 

Sunday after church we had lunch with the Bishop and his wife and the Hayballs and their daughter and granddaughter, that was really fun. The Hayball's daughter is so funny. Then we went and saw this one less active member who I think I told you about last week. That was really good we shared the Mormon messages bearing your burdens with hope. It went really well, then it was back to the flat for dinner and that was our week. Love you.

 

 

The Hayball's daughter from California was visiting her parents before they leave to go home. She took a picture of Mason and his companion and sent me a text yesterday with the picture.

October 12, 2015

Mason has been gone 13 months (and 2 days) now - here is the e-mail we got today -

We are starting to figure things out here in Montrose. There are a few investigators left from the sisters that were here before us and we have started working with a few of them. Things have been kinda busy and the days go by really fast.

 

So this week on Tuesday we had a zone meeting it wasn't anything big that President came to. The Zone Leaders want us to commit at least one person a day to baptism which is pretty crazy. But after that the Hayballs took us to KFC for lunch, then they took us to meet a member of the ward who has some kind of cancer. Then we went to a member's house for dinner. The Rollo's they are really cool and the husband does falconry so he has some falcons and even an owl which is really cool. It took a while to get there since they are in the middle of nowhere. 

 

Wednesday we pretty much spent the whole day with the Hayballs. They where putting together a packet with some flyers from the ward and a DVD to give to less active and part member families. Then we went and delivered a few of them. Then we went back to the Hayball's flat and had a late lunch with them. Then we went and did a bit of finding, but nobody was out cause it was raining. Then it was back to the Hayball's for ice cream with some kids from a part member family. Then we went and saw some of the investigators that the sisters where teaching, the Newtons. 

 

Thursday the Zone Leaders came and blitzed our area. I was with Elder Ilori the elder who trained Elder Campbell. That day was crazy. We went and saw another investigator that the sisters had, a man named Fred. Then we did a lot of finding in the small city centre and Elder Ilori is crazy - he made so many appointments with people who didn't keep them so we had to sort that out later. Then we went to the Glanville's for dinner - that is kinda the highlight of the week. They are just so funny. Then after that we had some time so we decided to do some finding and we met this young couple and ended up going to their house and teaching them. They are pretty cool - they both from traveller backgrounds and they said they would come to church but they didn't so not too sure how solid they are but we will see. 

 

Friday nothing to exciting - we had to do weekly planning since the Zone Leaders came on Thursday. We met with Fred again, and the sisters had him scheduled for baptism this Saturday so we are trying to get him ready for that. Other than that not too much happened on Friday. 

 

Saturday we did service at British Heart in the morning. We then went and saw Fred again. We then went to the church and started making his baptismal program. And that was pretty much it.

Sunday after church we went to the bishop's house for a late lunch. The Bishop and his wife just got back from a trip to the temple and they got some root beer from an LDS book store right by the temple so they gave us two cans, I was loving that. Then we had a less active who wants to start coming back to church call us out of the blue so we went and saw him and that was it. 

So this week has been a bit crazy. Love and miss you guys so much. 

October 5, 2015

Mason is now back in Scotland in the Montrose ward - here is the e-mail we got today.

Hey Mom things are going good over here so far.  Montrose is a little like Ayr but much much much smaller. But coming over on the ferry was pretty much the same as last time. Getting up here was a bit of a hassle since we had to go to Edinburgh then catch a train, then get off of that train in Dundee cause there was a train derailed so we got a bus to the next train stop and got on a train to Montrose, but the flat is pretty close to the train station so it wasn't too bad. But we did drive through Ayr on the bus and me and Elder Cragie who also served there were just like "I still remember how to get around here." It felt weird to be back in Ayr.

So anyway on Thursday we unpacked and did some shopping and just got settled in. We also met the bishop and his wife, they are really nice. Then we had dinner with the Glanville family who live just across the street from us. They are so funny and crazy like each of them are AT LEAST as crazy as Bryn. So it's going to be really fun having dinner with them every Thursday. 

Friday the senior couple up here gave us a tour of the area. They will be going home in a month so they are going to try and talk Pres. Donaldson into letting us keep the car which would be really nice. Pres. Donaldson is also really fond of the area cause this is were he was trained when he first was a missionary.  

Saturday not much happened but then we got a lift from the senior couple, the Hayballs, to the Dundee stake center for conference. They showed the Saturday morning session, then we stayed the night with the zone leaders. Then Sunday was all conference with the Priesthood session in the morning then the Saturday afternoon, then Sunday morning. My favorite talk was Pres. Uchtdorf's Priesthood session. Then the Hayballs took us back to the flat. So its been a bit of a crazy week. Love and miss you guys.  

I "borrowed" this picture from Elder Kinville's blog - this was while they were traveling to Edinburgh. I will miss his pictures since Mason hasn't been great about taking and/or uploading a lot of pictures lately.

As usual I did a street view of his new flat address and here is a picture - it is the first black door (on the right).