May 25, 2015

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

So this week has been pretty good but to start off I am going to get moved to Inverness! So I will be missing Peter's baptism and I'm mad about that, and guess who is in my district - Elder Rogers. I am going to be with the district leader up there so that means I will be going on exchanges with Elder Rogers as well. But President said now is the best time to go so I will be spending the summer in the Highlands. I may also get to see a sea monster cause Loch Ness is in the area. Also I will get to go and see Elder Holland live when he comes so that will be "Legen . . . wait for it . . . dary". I also have quite a few pictures to send today. I haven't heard anything from the Austins yet but the sisters teaching them say they are still doing good. 

So on last Monday after emailing we went and rearanged everything in the flat we moved our beds into another room and made the old bedroom the study room and the living room is now just the living room since it used to be the study room and living room. Then we went out to Kilsyth to try to get to the Roman fort but there weren't any bus stops close enough so we just went on a big loop and then had dinner and that finished up the day.

Tuesday we had district meeting and that was good. After that we went as a district and had lunch at this place called Witherspoons that was really good. We were hoping to buy some kilts that day but when we got there the store was closed, I think the owner was on his lunch break. We went on exchanges that day so I was up here in Cumbernauld with the redneck from Logan Elder Yates he is so funny. We did some tracting then we had ward council that night so not much to exciting there. 

Wednesday we started off by exchanging back, and me and Elder Perkins went and got some kilts that day. The guy didn't have too many of the £15 kilts left but the tartan that mine is is clan Douglas. It's a bit small cause the guy measured me up a bit snug so a little more motivation to lose more weight here. We then had brunch with Stewart and Teresa that was really good and really Scottish. Then it was the usual the rest of the day. 

Thursday we had flat checks that day and that took a while then we pretty much spent the whole day weekly planing. 

Friday we had to go into Glasgow for the District Leader council I was able to just hang out with the other DLA's (district leaders assistant) that was fun we just walked around Glasgow for a while and chatted. Then it was off to do some service at the salvation army store. Then we went to a town called Blackwood and tried by one of our investigators who has been real busy but we where able to talk to her for a bit and that was good then it was back to the flat for dinner. 

Saturday was the best day of the week. It was the stake hill walk that day and it was a ton of fun. Most of the zone was able to come so I got to hang out with some more missionaries I got a lot of pictures from that. When we were coming back down Elder Yates asked me if I could give him a piggy back ride and I did.  A sister that was there got some good pictures so hopefully she sends those to me. After that we went back to the flat got lunch and changed. We then went out to where Adam (the ward mission leader) lives and did some tracting around there. Then for dinner we went to a place called The Carvery which is really good. Then went back to the flat and talked to the Airdrie Elders about their moves predictons.

Sunday we had church that was good and Peter came and we got some stuff for his baptism sorted out. The rest of the day not much else happened until moves call. So that was my week. 

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We actually found out Mason was being transferred to Inverness last night on the Scotland/Ireland mission Facebook page so we looked up some information about Inverness. It is the northernmost city in the United Kingdom and it is about about 160 miles north (and a little west) of Edinburgh.  It is considered the capital city of The Highlands and has a population of over 60,000. There is a large college campus there - Inverness College - which is the main campus of The University of the Highlands. In a 2014 survey Inverness was named as the happiest place in Scotland. There were also 2 big battles near Inverness in the 11th and 18th centuries and you can still visit the battlefield and it looks like there are a lot of castles, old churches, and forts so I am sure that will make Mason happy. Here are a few pictures of Inverness - 

 

This is the Inverness castle overlooking the River Ness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the LDS church in Inverness (from a Google street view map) right on the River Ness (the river is on the left side of the picture but you can't really see it).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this first picture must be at their district meeting and then a picture of Mason and Elder Perkins wearing their new kilts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And these are pictures from the stake hill walk they had on Saturday.

When I was e-mailing back and forth with Mason I asked him who the missionary was that made him look small - he said it was Elder Burch from England. 

May 18, 2015

Here is Mason's e-mail from this week -

So not much has really happened this week - really it was kind of a business week. Tuesday we really just did some tracting. Wednesday was kinda crazy with Zone Interview Training, it went on for so long and I am pretty sure that every one who started taking notes at the beginning by the end had just given up. But it eventually got to the point where if we had to look up a scripture they went from asking "who wanted to read" to "Elder Wynder are you there yet so you can read it for us" not kidding. One of the AP's giving instructions straight up said "Elder Wynder since you have a nice big voice will you read this for us".  But then after we had to jet off really quick cause we had dinner at Teresa's. We had what are called pizza crunches - that is a battered and deep fried pizza, and let me say they are delicious. But we were able to see Peter on Wednesday as well so that was really good, he did come to church yesterday and is really looking forward to getting baptized. 

Thursday it was mainly weekly planing and really not a lot else. Then Friday we had to travel out of our zone cause Elder Perkins had a weird scar on his ear that grew into a bump so he needed to get that removed. We left about 2:30 and didn't get back until 8:30, and we only spent about 45 minutes in the doctors office. 

Saturday not a lot happened as well. Heather, a member in the ward, gave us hair cuts that was about the most exciting thing that happened that day. Also in the district we have taken to calling my hair "The Mane" so Elder Perkins was saying "its time to cut that mane". We tried to do some tracting but Elder Perkins couldn't get the stitches wet and it was raining on and off like crazy. 

Sunday not much else happened - after church we walked to a place we hadn't knocked before and did some work around there then went back to the flat and Elder Perkins had district leader study the rest of the night as well as calling for numbers. So not too much exciting this week. 

It is crazy that its been a week since we skyped. This move is only a five week move so we will get moves calls this Sunday. Love you and miss you.

May 11, 2015

Mason has been gone 8 months (yesterday) now. It was so good to talk to him and see him when we Skyped with him yesterday. He is doing great, he is happy, and he really likes his new companion!  We didn't get a very long e-mail today since we just talked to him yesterday, but here is what we got and he also sent a few pictures. . .

So this week not to much has gone on I told you pretty much everything that really went down this week. So far nothing has really happened with the other people we are working with but we are hoping to see them sometime this week. This week is Zone Interview Training and it will be President Brown's last one! So that will be the big thing this week, because of it we won't be able to see Peter this week. But because of Peter I think I might have potentially found another hobby. He showed us how to make survival bracelets out of paracord and it's pretty cool.

I can't wait until Christmas to Skype again but it will come really soon I can't really believe I have been our 8 MONTHS TODAY!!! It is just flying by. Love you and can't wait to email next week. 

These first pictures are from the hike they went on last Monday with the Bishop in their ward and his family.

Mason's companion is Elder Perkins and he is the district leader - this was the first time he called the other missionaries in the district for numbers.

May 4, 2014

We got an e-mail from Mason early this morning (like 2:30 in the morning our time) saying that they were going hiking with the Bishop of their ward so he would send a longer email later in the day. The hiking took longer than planned and they had a dinner appointment to get to so we just got a short e-mail today - here it is.

So the hike with the Bishop and his family went a bit longer than expected, and we are emailing at the church (today is a "bank" holiday in the UK so the library they usually e-mail from is closed) and there is only one computer. But this has been a good week not too much going on and we are a bit pressed for time so I will just give you guys the main highlights. So on Wednesday we saw Peter and he now has a date to be baptized. I am so excited for that. The Austins are doing well - just unpacking and once they are done with that then the sisters up in Glasgow will start seeing them. On Thursday we went to the Greers and Sister Greer said that you two had been talking a bit (we had been sending messages back and forth on Facebook) and said we needed to get a picture and Adam (her son) is about 5'6" - the seat he was on was a bit broken so he just looks smaller. Elder Perkins is really cool we are getting along great. It helps that he actually wants to do stuff on P-day. Also on Tuesday we had a nice little tour of Glasgow. We had to go up for district meetings then the DLs meet after the meetings to set the months goals. Then Elder Perkins had a doctors appointment in Glasgow at 4:30 so we really just walked all around Glasgow and talked to a few people here and there. So not to much of an eventful day there. But that is pretty much what happened this week. Along with the hike with Bishop which was fun and now I am super tired and I even had a nap while Elder Perkins was emailing. Well I can't wait to talk to you on Sunday it will be about the same time or a bit earlier since we are going to the Greer's to Skype right after Sacrament Meeting so it will be between 4:30-6 our time that I'll Skype - just be ready. Love you guys.

I already posted this picture on Instagram and Facebook but I thought I would add it to this blog post as well.  This is Mason, his new companion Elder Perkins in the middle, and Adam Greer their ward mission leader who just got his mission call to Novosibirsk, Russia this past week.