March 28, 2016

Here is Mason's e-mail for this week . . . 

 

So for this week, last Monday we ended up having to stay the night in Inverness cause it took us a while to get out of Edinburgh with the traffic, and if Elder Kinville had just powered through for the rest of the drive we would have died! But on Tuesday we were actually able to go to district meeting in person. We looked like flipping hobos, since we didn't shave and had on the same clothes as the day before but it was really fun to be in that district meeting. Elder Perkins did a training on GQing so he had us role play selling him a CD which the Invergordon Elders had gotten the day before. It was an awful CD and by the end no one could say it was a good CD with a straight face and we were all laughing.

Then once we got back to Thurso we dropped everything off and did our shopping. Then we had a meeting with the branch mission leader and went by some less actives to finish off the day.

Wednesday in the morning we went and GQed Wick then after lunch we went and did service at the Tolworthys. This time it was mainly demolition they had us gather some old useless wood to burn then we destroyed an old chicken coop to burn as well. 

Thursday we went around Thurso most of the day looking for a garage cause our "new car's" check engine light is on. We found one but they are booked up until this week so we will need to take the car in some other time his week. Then we went and tried by the one less active who was drunk the last time we saw him (David) but he wasn't in. Then we went and saw the Billington family again. 

Friday we did our weekly planing cause we ran out of time on Thursday. Then we went and tried by some people in Wick and then did a bit of service for a less active named Brenda and then had a short lesson with her. She is older and things are always interesting when we see her. Then we went to the church because the youth were doing a Plan of Salvation fireside. They did a whole walk through of the POS and did up one room like the premortal life, our earth life and so on. We also did a tour of the three kingdoms and ended in the celestial kingdom it was a really cool thing and the youth loved putting it all together. 

Saturday it was the normal service Saturday started at New Start Highland, then ended at the Tolworthys. At the Tolworthys we just continued on with what we were doing last time, we were chopping wood into smaller pieces and that was about it still lots of fun. 

Sunday there was a lot of singing at Church. The Relief Society had a choir number and then so did the branch choir which me and Elder Kinville are in, we sang Consider the Lilies and it was pretty good. Then After Church we went by David again but he wasn't in again then we just GQed around Thurso which was pretty much just walking around. So not a very eventful Easter. Well that is all for this week.  Love and miss you guys. 

March 21, 2016

So I am emailing from the mission home right now. We had to come down to Edinburgh  because our car is getting recalled, so we will be getting another teams car.

So On Tuesday we didn't have district meeting so that day was mainly driving around and finding. Until we went to the croft and did some more service. Wednesday it was finding nothing to exciting there. 

Thursday we went down to Inverness and blitzed the area. That was really fun, me and Elder Perkins had dinner with Gale which was great to see her again. She also gave me a present, and I am now a Laird which is the Scottish version of a Lord because I now own a square foot of land in the Highlands. How sweet is that. But then that night we went out and got some wood and we had a campfire in the back yard of the Inverness flat mainly because they had big marshmallows and we all got some stuff from the Jehovah's witnesses so we made some smores which was awesome. 

Friday we drove back up to Thurso and then later we had a lesson with the Billingtons (I told you about them in one of my last emails, the son is a recent convert). 

Saturday was service Saturday and then we got the call about our car. It was nice since it didn't rain for a few days so it was all nice and dry, well dryer then it has been, at the croft. 

Sunday after church it was cleaning out the car and getting it ready for the drive down. 

So nothing to glamorous here. 

Here are some pictures - the first picture is borrowed from Elder Kinville's blog and the last three pictures are from lunch today in Edinburgh - one of the members in Edinburgh took them to lunch while they were there and she sent me the pictures on Facebook.

 

 

March 14, 2016

Here is the e-mail from Mason - he has officially been gone 18 months and will be home in a little over 5 months - woohoo!!! The first paragraph of the e-mail he is mostly answering my questions - what did you do for your birthday? How is it having a car? How is Elder Kinville? 

So for the rest of my birthday we really didn't do too much. We went to a place called Wick which has a tartan shop and I got some navy color flashes and a blue tie to go along with my kilt, then we went to the church and I ordered an argyle kilt jacket. But when the jacket came it was more of a stage costume then an actual jacket so I'm going to return it today and get a better one. Having a car makes things so much easier and it would be very hard to get around here without a car. It's fun with Elder Kinville - we almost have too much fun, which saves us from going crazy up here. It would be nice to stay with Elder Kinville another move, but his driver's license expires right before this move ends so we probably won't both stay here. So anyway with this week we did a lot of driving and what not so I will give you the highlights. 

Tuesday we had district meeting which we had to Skype in for which was interesting. Then the rest of the day was try bys and chapping. Then for dinner me and Elder Kinville made pretzel bites that he got a recipe for and they were really good.

Wednesday it started of with some GQing. Then after lunch we went to some members, the Tolworthys, croft (a small farm) and did service for them. We were mainly mucking out one place but then when it got dark we went and had dinner with them then we got to brush their horses. They have a bigger horse which is a Cobb Cross horse and a big Shetland pony, I brushed the bigger one and Elder Kinville brushed the smaller one. 

Thursday we did some weekly planing then more driving and try bys and then we went and had a recent convert lessen with a family who's son just got baptized. The dad is a convert and the mom is a less active, but they are really cool and we get along great. 

Friday we had some less active lessons with a lady who is into the new age healing stuff and she kinda gently bashed some stuff about the church so that was very interesting. Then we went and saw another less active man who is an alcoholic and had some drinks before we got there. He kept talking about how he would like to get us stoned and see which one laughs the hardest. Me and Elder Kinville just laughed about the whole thing after, but something really funny he said was that we would be all like " oh Davy I'm in Britain" which has turned into a big inside joke now. 

Saturday we did service at the charity shop New Start Highland. Then it was over to the Tolworthys for some more service. We were just mucking all day which is kinda fun but we really need a shower when we get done. 

Sunday after church we went over to a member's house, the Winkles, for lunch and they are really fun, they also live on a little croft and we may start doing some service there as well. But I have got to say this is the nerdiest branch ever - everyone loves Lord of the Rings like crazy and things like that, so I get along really well with everyone. That was us for the week. Love and miss you so much.

This is a picture "borrowed" from Elder Kinville's blog of them eating their homemade pretzel bites - 

March 7, 2016

Here is the e-mail we got from Mason today - today was his 21st birthday so it was nice to e-mail back and forth a little on his actual birthday! And, he is in his new area - Thurso, Scotland.

Today we will be going to a tartan shop in our area in a town called Wick. We were going to be able to blitz Inverness tomorrow and me and Elder Perkins were going to have dinner with Gale but Elder Perkins called and said now he needs to go to Edinburgh for something and that he will need to head down Tuesday night so the blitz is postponed for a little while :(. But we don't really have anything exciting up here its just a bunch of small towns and what not. Our flat its an alright flat but it gets cold, and its nice we have the car now. The branch is pretty nice there are about 30 active members, it is a bit odd being in a branch.

So for this week Monday and Tuesday were just packing and saying good bye to everyone in Montrose.

Wednesday was a lot of travel we got on a train to Dundee in the morning and I picked up Elder Roach (Elder Barton's greenie) and then got a train to Aberdeen where Elder Kinville picked me up and then we drove and drove and drove. We stopped off at Inverness really quick - we got lunch at McDonald's then went to one of the tartan shops and I got a Macbeth Tartan tie. Tomorrow I will be getting a Scott Hunting tie in Inverness since we will be down for district meeting. Then we went and saw Gale really quick she was really happy to see me and it was really good to see her and Riley again. Then we drove another 2 1/2 hours to Thurso and shopped and that was it. 

Thursday we did weekly planing and drove around the area a bit and did some GQing in Wick. 

Friday we had a lesson with a recent convert named Theoden who is I think 9 his mom is a less active and his dad is a recent convert and former pagan priest so they are really interesting.

Saturday was all service. We started by going to the charity shop and after that we drove out to a small farm house where a member family lives and did some service for them. We were mucking out the horse corral and that was a lot of crap, then we had dinner with them. 

Sunday was nice. We had church and met the members in the branch who are really nice. Then me and Elder Kinville drove around the area for a bit just look for any new places to find. Then we had dinner and walked around Thurso for a bit. 

So that was my week. Love and miss you guys.

 

 

Here are some pictures he took with people before he left Montrose and a picture in Thurso and a link to a short video -  

 

The Dibdin Family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ewarts

The Stronachs (former Bishop in Montrose)

Thurso

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video in Thurso