March 18, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Hopefully everyone has had a good week. The past week has been all over the place. We've had some great highs and some lows.

It's getting pretty crazy coming up to easter here. It seems like all the different churches are going all out to try and convert as many people as they can before easter sunday. I think every door we knocked on had been knocked by Jehovah's witnesses the day before! So many doors in our faces haha. I guess that's what happens though in a country where there is a different church on every corner. It's a battle. The witnesses have been really active. I remember them knocking on our door when I was home. I was probably 14. I don't know if I ever told anyone this story. It was one of the first experiences I had with another church. They knocked on the door and I answered. They told me who they were and I told them I was a mormon. They asked if everyone in the neighborhood was mormon. It's Utah so the answer was yes haha. They gave me one of their watchtower magazines. I remember going inside and starting to read it. I remember the things I was reading sounding right and I was feeling the spirit. Then I read one line and the spirit shut off completely and I through the magazine away. Crazy how it works isn't it?

Our most progressing investigator, debbie, dropped is this week. She got into some anti-mormon materials and it shook her up quite a bit. She just wasn't ready for any of that yet. It's pretty sad how that happens. There's more anti-mormon material out there than any other church. If you think about it though, if you were satan would you waste your time attacking other churches or the true one...exactly! Debbie will come back one day. We have started teaching a lot of other good people. We're teaching a lady form the West Indies(Trinidad and Tobago) named Monica and her niece named Crystal. They are two of the funniest people I've ever met. In the middle of a lesson Monica just started rebuking crystal calling her a sinner and telling her to repent. It's sounds pretty funny in a carribean accent. We started teaching a part member family this week as well, Rob & Elaine. They've been coming to St. Helens for about 7 weeks now. They don't live in our area though so we'll probably have to hand them off soon. Not sure what the plans are there. We began teaching one of the girls who came to church and said that they wanted to be baptized as well. Her name is Sarah. Honestly, St. Helens is so close to just exploding. 

The church is getting a lot of publicity right now in England because the Book of Mormon musical is coming to London. It's pretty apostate but the church is using it as a tool. The church is going all out with it's Mormon.org campaign. They've got advertisements in the front page of the musical program saying "Now that you've seen the show, read the book". They've bought all the advertising spaces in some of the biggest train stations in London and ads on the big double decker buses. It's pretty crazy. It's spreading all the way up here to the norhwest as well. They've announced that for the first time outside of the U.S they'll be having an official church pageant at the Preston Temple grounds. I have no idea what a pageant is or what it's all about but apparently it's a big deal. haha. They're having that in July and they're saying that it'll be a huge missionary opportunity. The church is definitely getting it's name out here. People know the Mormons. Now we just need to baptize them. :) They interviewed some missionaries in our mission on BBC radio. I'm sure you could find it on Google or something. 

There's been quite a few funny moments this week. Dad will love this one. I had a classic Brian Regan "you too!" moment. haha. We were talking to a less-active lady on her doorstep for awhile and when we turned to leave she said "have a safe journey" and I said "you too!...In case you decide to go somewhere or something". haha. She looked at me like I wad an Idiot. Elder Peterson won't let me live it down. Unfortunately he likes Brian Regan too. There was some pretty funny quotes flying around In Elders quorom as well. It's pretty ridiculous when some of the start "master Yoda said..." haha. English wards are so funny. The church here is a lot different than at home. Elders Quorem made me think about some quotes i've been told on my mission that i've really liked. When I was in Preston and the work wasn't going to well, one of the high councilors over missionary work said, "Elder Ford. Finish this sentence for me. If at first you don't succeed..." I said "try try again." "Wrong! If at first you don't succeed, ask yourself WHY? Don't keep making the same mistake over and over again." It changed the way we did our work there. There are some pretty wise people out there. 

Well there's not much else that happened this week. Today is the last P-day of the transfer. Transfers are on the 27th. Not sure what will happen but I'll probably stay. I'll email on the Thursday most likely. It's crazy how fast time goes. I'm going on exchange in Southport this week so I'll get to see Steve and Naomi on Tuesday. Get in there! I guess I'll end with something I studied this week. I've been thinking about the Atonement recently and how to put it across in a way that people can understand and relate to. Yesterday in sacrament meeting we sang "Reverently and Meekly Now". The 4th verse puts it perfectly. It says, 

4. At the throne I intercede;

For thee ever do I plead.

I have loved thee as thy friend,

With a love that cannot end.

Be obedient, I implore,

Prayerful, watchful evermore,

And be constant unto me,

That thy Savior I may be.

God loves you and I love you. Thanks for everything.

Love Elder Ford