December 7, 2015

Here is the e-mail we got from Mason today - 3 more days and we are at 15 months down! 

 

This week has been okay. Nothing really too exciting happened this week. We saw William and Shannon twice but the first one wasn't really a lesson since they just ranted about some things for an hour and a half. Then when we saw them on Saturday we watched On the Lords Errand, the movie about Pres. Monson. After the video they said that they don't believe there are prophets anymore; so we are going to need to talk to them about that. We had a joint district meeting and after that for district lunch we ordered Dominos and had a pizza party which was really fun. 

The lesson with the Newtons went really well they were open to tithing after the bishop and us explained it to them. But they still didn't come to church on Sunday, and we just got a text from them this morning saying that they are going to be really busy these next few weeks so they won't have time for us to come over until the new year. 

The Ewarts we weren't able to see this week because their oldest son had a ballet thing Friday night so we will be seeing them on Thursday this week. 

The big thing that happened this week was that we got a new bishop here in Montrose. The new bishop's name is Jeff Dibdin he is really cool! He had us over for dinner at his house this week and we kind of made planes to come over most likely for new years, he is really cool and fun. 

Other then that not much else happened sorry this email is pretty short. Love and miss you. 

 

 

These are pictures from the district meeting/pizza party - 

November 30, 2015

So for this week on Tuesday we had district meeting and after getting back to Montrose I got a haircut since the barber shops are closed on Monday. Then we went and saw William and Shannon we did a bit of a review of what we had taught them and they did pretty good. And that finished off Tuesday. 

 

Wednesday we pretty much did finding all day until dinner, and then we went and saw the Newtons. It was a good lesson and we learned that their big concern is tithing. So we will be teaching that this week with Bishop, so that should be good. 

 

Thursday, because of our English district leader's disrespect for American holidays, we went on exchanges so one of three full American teams in the zone was split up for Thanksgiving. I was down in Dundee and we did have a meal appointment with a recent convert, a college student from Germany, she made us lasagna and brownies for dessert. It was really good, but nothing like what Elders Johnson and Benton got at the Bishop's. 

 

Friday we exchanged back and then it was finding until we went to the Ewarts. We watched Elder Holland's testimony of the Book of Mormon with them. They really liked it, then we got talking a bit more and then Irene told us about her belief in past lives so we will need to talk about that one. But it went pretty well.

Saturday we did weekly planning then we went to see William and Shannon again but they weren't in so we just did some more finding but it was cold and not many people were out.

Sunday after church it was munch and mingle so that was fun and we left with a lot of food. Then we did some finding and then we purged the phone. That is were you call all the potentials in the phone and see which ones actually want to meet up, nothing from that and then we had dinner. So not the most eventful week.

 

 It is so crazy that Christmas is already coming up its coming so fast. It will be good to Skype again, for the second to last time. Love and miss you. 

Mason's companion sent some pictures home and his mom put them on Facebook so I "borrowed" them.

November 23, 2015

Here is today's e-mail from Mason - 

This has been a pretty good week. Tuesday we had Zone conference nothing really big there so that was all of Tuesday.

Wednesday we had a meeting with the ward mission leader in the morning. Then we went out to Arbroath and did some finding there. Then we went back for dinner and then taught the Newtons with brother Glanville which was really good. We taught the Word of Wisdom and Bro. Glanville is an ex-navy nurse so he knew a lot about that kind of stuff.

Thursday we went on exchanges. Our district leader came up here with me and Elder Johnson went down to Dundee, Our new district leader is Elder Benton from my MTC district so that was really cool. We mainly did finding in Arbroath and talked to some cool people but they all dodged the appointments we set up with them. Then we went to the Glanville's for dinner.

Friday after exchanging back I don't really remember what we did but at 6 we went to a quiz night the ward was having. William came with us, but Shannon was down in Glasgow so she couldn't come. But it was really fun our team was me and Elder Johnson, Bishop, and William and we came in dead last. But William still had a really fun time.

Saturday we went and saw a member out in a little place called Forfar she likes to be called Grandma and it was really fun. She gave us lunch then pulled out all this tartan scrap she had and told us to pick out a tartan and she would make us scripture covers so we will be going back this week so I can give her my scriptures. Then we did some service at British Heart and then we did some weekly planning since we had exchanges on Thursday.

Sunday we had stake conference it was pretty cool. President Brown (Mason's first mission president) was there since it’s his home stake so I got to talk with him for a bit which was really nice. Then after we got back and had lunch we went to Arbroath and did a wee bit of finding. So that was our week.

Christmas is coming up really fast I can't wait to Skype - second to last one. Love and miss you guys.

Here are a couple of pictures he uploaded for us this week - 

November 16, 2015

Here is the e-mail we got today - 

So not much has happened this week. Elder Kemp got moved so Tuesday was really just packing. Then that night we went to Dundee and he continued on to Edinburgh and I stayed over night with the Zone leader and a few other missionaries. Then Wednesday morning we went to the train station and waited for about 2-3 hours for the missionaries to get in. Then me and my new companion, Elder Johnson, got a train to Montrose and then just chilled the rest of the day and he unpacked. Elder Johnson is from Grantsville "the hick town".

Thursday we went and saw William and Shannon who are doing pretty good. Then just some finding. Friday and Saturday were also just finding days so nothing to exciting this week. 

We did see the Newtons and the Ewarts this week. The Ewarts are doing great - they just need to get things all sorted out with her job before they get baptized.

Sunday at church everyone was surprised that Elder Kemp was gone since he was only here one move. But after church was some more finding.

So this move is a 5 week move they sent a moves calendar out to every one. Elder Johnson only has two moves left so if I don't get moved just before Christmas I may be spending six months here in Montrose.

But that's it for this week love and miss you.

Just a side note - I found Elder Johnson's mom on the Scotland/Ireland Mission Facebook page and her maiden name is Tippets and she is from Hooper. Dru said he had a companion named Jeff Tippets from Hooper and we had Mason ask Elder Johnson and Dru's companion from his mission is Mason's new companion's uncle - small world!!

November 9, 2015

Here is Mason's e-mail for this week - and I just realized today is November 10 which means Mason has been gone 14 months today - only 10 more months to go (actually a little less)!!!

Moves call was last night and I am staying, and Elder Kemp is moving to Northern Ireland. My new companion's name is Elder Johnson who only has 2 moves left. The Hayballs left last week and just about gave us their whole kitchen. We got a new set of plates and bowls, silverware, and a rug and coffee table. Their car is gone no one is getting it so it is one of the 9 cars the mission is losing. 

So this week on Tuesday after district meeting we went and saw Fred, then we went and helped the Hayballs move their stuff out and over to our flat. Then we had dinner. 

Wednesday we went and saw William and Shannon, we started to do the stop smoking program with them. They are doing pretty well and it will be fun to keep teaching them. Then in the evening we had a lesson with the Newtons. We taught them about keeping the Sabbath day holy and it seemed to go pretty well, but they still didn't come to church. 

Thursday we saw Fred at the church and watched On the Lord's Errand,  the movie about Pres. Monson, then we taught a guy we met on the street named Simon who was pretty nice. We gave him a church tour and taught the Restoration so that went pretty well. Then since it was Bonfire night (Guy Fawkes night) we had to be in our flat by 5 unless we had an appointment we could get driven to and from. But we went to the Glanville's for dinner since they live just across the street from us. That was really fun we stayed there from 5:30 to 9 and we are going over tonight since Elder Kemp is moving. 

Friday we went and saw William and Shannon, they were at Shannon's parent's house so we went over there. Then we had another lesson with a guy we meet on the street named Adrian who we will probably not be going to see again.  Then we went to the Ewart's and had a really good Word of Wisdom lesson with them. They weren't able to make it to church this week cause Irene had a work meeting at the Cathedral she is employed with. Then it was back to the flat. 

Saturday we did service at the British Heart and I found a pretty cool laptop bag which I bought and will use when I come home. Then we went to Fred's and then did some finding the rest of the day. 

Sunday after church we had to hang around because the Hayball's couches were being brought from their flat since the ward bought them so we hung around to help get them into the church. Then we went and had lunch with Bishop and his wife and we ended up staying till almost 6. Then bishop gave us a lift to the flat where we dropped off our church stuff and got moves call. Then Elder Kemp spent the rest of the night packing. So that is what happened this week. Love and miss you guys. 

November 2, 2015

Mason's e-mail from today - 

 

So this week everything kinda fell through. Tuesday at district meeting we got a call from President and he said he couldn't let me go to the Austin's baptism since it would open up a whole can of worms of missionaries wanting to go all over the mission for baptisms. The Austins still got baptized and I talked to them on the phone for a little while. They were saying how they want me to move down to Glasgow ward. And we didn't go to the mission home because the Whites cancelled. 

 

Tuesday we had a lesson with the Newtons. Luke Glanville and his wife Eden came and it was really good. We talked quite a bit on scripture study and how the Book of Mormon answers questions of the soul. So it went really good. Luke is the Elders quorum President and is a really good teacher.

Not much really happened this week. On Wednesday we had a lesson with the Ewarts who are really cool. Irene, the mom, is employed by the cathedral by where they live and that is really the only thing stopping them from joining the church. So they are doing really well.

Friday was the ward Halloween party. We had a Trunk-or-Treat as well. Inside the church we also had some fun Halloween games. The Ewarts came and really had fun. During the actual Trunk-or-Treating me and Elder Kemp were manning the Hayball's car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday not much happened. We went and saw Fred. But other then that not much happened, and we were in the flat at 6 had dinner and weekly planned so that was our exciting Halloween.

Sunday after church we went and had lunch at the bishop's with the Hayballs. Then we went back to the Hayball's flat to help them close it down and we are getting quite a bit of stuff from them. Last night we got a rug for our living room and a whole bunch of food stuff so that was really nice. Then we went with the Hayballs as they said good-bye to some of the members. But there will be a big going away party for them tonight at the church so that should be fun,

Anyway that is all for this week. Love and miss you guys so much. 

 

Here is another picture Mason sent - he must be in the town center of Montrose.

 

 

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!