December 21, 2015

Here is the very short e-mail we got from Mason today - they had a short P-day today, I guess because of Christmas this week.

Elder Johnson was sick from Tuesday to Friday, so nothing really happened. We went to the ward Christmas party Friday night and that was pretty fun. The Ewarts came and had a really good time, their kids loved it. They would have been to church on Sunday but Irene had a performance at the other church so they weren't able to come.

Saturday we helped a member's sister move into the ward, and that was pretty much what we did all day after service at British Heart.  

Sunday church was really good - it was a big Christmas themed sacrament meeting. After church we went to the old bishop's house for lunch and that is about it. Sorry this hasn't been a very exciting week. We haven't seen William and Shannon this week since William has been away doing a roofing job in Glasgow but hopefully we will see them sometime this week. Love you and can't wait to Skype on Christmas. 

He did send some pictures with the Christmas tree they have in their flat. The tree was already there so I just sent some decorations from Amazon UK. The first one is a little blurry but the second one is better.

December 14, 2015

Here is the e-mail we got today -

I am staying in Montrose, I think only abut 9 people got moved this moves call.

Well this week on Tuesday we went out to a small town called Letham after lunch, we did a few hours of tracting but nothing to much happened than we came back and had dinner.

Wednesday we mainly did some GQing on the high street then after dinner we had to go to Dundee and spent the night with the district leader. That was pretty fun. Elder Johnson and Elder Benton are both really into this card game called Magic the Gathering. Elder Lauricella showed me how to play, and Elder Johnson and I have been playing with me just using some of his cards. So we played that for a while. 

Thursday we had to get up at 5 am to get our train to Edinburgh. We had an all Scotland conference since the area president was touring the mission. We arrived at the Edinburgh stake center about 9:30 so it took us a little while to get there. But the conference was great - Elder Kearon was really good and really funny. I didn't expect so much joking and laughing it was really good. I also got to talk with the sisters who are in Glasgow. It was fun to talk to them about the Austins and they said they are doing really well. When I starting talking to them they just said "the Austins love you so much" so it was good to hear how they are doing.  I also saw one of the sisters in my group who I haven't seen since the Christmas Concert last year and she said "just in case I don't see you again before I leave I will see you on Facebook." Things are getting real - the sisters in my group only have two moves left before they go home - it is crazy how fast it is going. But then after we got on the train and went back to Montrose. We finally got back to the flat at about 8:20 so it was a long day.  

Friday Elder Johnson wasn't feeling well so we didn't do too much except for seeing a less active in the afternoon, then we went and saw the Ewarts in the evening. That was really good.  A member who came with us, sister Maxton, is really good and is friends with the Ewarts. But we got on the subject of blessings and Sister Maxton said she felt like the Ewarts should have a blessing so before we left I gave blessings of guidance to Irene and Allen. The spirit was so strong there it was so great. So we should be able to get them with a baptism date here soon. 

Saturday we were having the zone caroling activity I was one of the missionaries out finding, and they said they would rotate between singing and finding but they never did - oh well. But they got some members to help since there are so few sisters and one of the members wasn't very good and she was the loudest so it wasn't the nicest sounding choir by far. After that we got lunch with some other Elders at KFC then since we had an hour until our bus we went and looked around in the mall and one shop then right back to the bus for Montrose. That was pretty much that day.

Sunday after church we went to the old bishop's house for lunch then after, since Elder Johnson still isn't feeling the best, we went back to the flat and waited for moves call. 

That was our week. Man only 11 more days till Christmas - I can't wait to Skype. Love and miss you guys.

 

 

In this picture Mason is standing in front of a statue called the Declaration of Arbroath - this is one of the most famous documents in Scottish history and was written in 1320. It asserted Scottish independence and was written at the Arbroath abbey.

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.