March 10, 2014

Hello to one hello to all!

So this week has been great. I really love the Wembley Ward and don't want to ever leave. Transfers are coming up next week so I am starting to stress for sure! Just trying not to think about it. Allow me to share some of the highlights of the week.

So Evalina is our Romanian Investigator and she is doing beyond good. She loves coming to church. She feels welcome and at peace. She always feels the spirit but doesn't identify it as that quite yet. We have been reviewing her english with her because she had a test this past weekend and it was so fun. Basically we just got to talk with her and tell us all about herself. She is 21 and so cool. We are hoping to give her a baptismal date this week.

I was asked to speak in church yesterday. It turned out okay despite the short notice. I have learned to love short notice assignments because it forces you to rely on the spirit rather than our own understanding. After I spoke there is a part member family who has a son that is 8 and he told his mom as i was speaking "Thats who i want to baptize me." So they came up after and kindly asked. I am excited for him. His name is Darren and he has autism. Such a cool family. Hopefully the father will come to support the family and have a desire to be baptized as well.

So my companion and I are doing well together now. Last week we went to a part of our area that is like an hour away so he could get new shoes that he didn't really need but wanted. Upon getting there the shop was closed and he got all upset. He told me earlier in the day that he had set an appointment with a less active in the area so right after he bought the shoes we could just go and teach a lesson. Turns out he never scheduled and appointment but he just wanted an excuse to travel up there. So there we were with no plans as to what we should do. A little frustrated, I walked into this shop that was having a sale. I just needed 5 minutes to cool off. He called our district leader and told him this story about how i was wasting time, etc. Later that night our District leader called to talk to me and i lost it. So we had an unplanned companionship inventory that turned out to be really good for the both of us. Now we are good and able to communicate with each other effectively.  

I was on a companion exchange with our zone leader and it was so fun. We met with this family from Ghanna who was sooooo cool. They were the last appointment of the day and we were exhausted. Turned out to be so rewarding. She was a member back in Ghanna but hasn't come out for 10 plus years. Her husband is not a member but wants to learn about our beliefs. We talked and established a good relationship with them. Before I knew it i was demonstrating my modeling abilities or rather lack of them for all to see. We were all laughing so hard tears were coming from our eyes. The result of a solid relationship is unmeasurable. For example, she was planning a meal for us for the next time we came, planning to come to church, gave us referrals, etc. I love the people from Ghanna. They are sooo funny. I tell them im from Ghanna as well and they usually start laughing super hard. Then I speak a little bit of Twee to them and they are slightly convinced. haha...Just something about my skin color throws them off? FYI on numerous occasions, because of my ability to communicate with the Africans, numerous missionaries have told me that I was born in the wrong country....All those rumors about me being adopted when i was little,,,well im starting to believe them...

Every week we have sports on saturday mornings. Its sooo fun. Members, non-members, and random people come. The first few weeks it was a little slow. But this past Saturdaythere was around 20 people there. Mostly non-members. They always ask questions and because a lot of them speak little english, they usually end up coming to the english class we hold in the evenings. I firmly believe that if ever a missionary thinks missionary work is not fun, they are doing it wrong. I have never had more fun in my life. Despite getting a black eye from going a little to hard against a brazilian for the ball...its worth it. 

There is a talk that i read this past week about becoming a consecrated missionary. I will attach a link so that you can read it if you so desire. While it is directed towards missionaries, i think everyone can find personal application within it. I love it. Often times in the church we are willing to do almost anything but there is one thing that holds us back from becoming fully consecrated. If we can let it go, recognizing the lords will and not our own, we will be blessed. I testify to you of the truthfulness of the Plan of Salvation. It is more than just a cool man made idea. Indeed it is our Heavenly Fathers plan of happiness for his children. It is universal. It applies to all. We did live with him before this life. I was thinking a few days ago and it dawned upon me. Just 20 years ago i was preparing to come here to earth. Heavenly Father was embracing me and telling me to make him proud. The best thing we can do to make him proud is return home to him. He sees our potential now we just need to recognize it. 

I love and pray for you all. I love hearing where each of you are at in life. Keep up the emails. 

Love Elder Evans

the link to the talk is copied below. If you havent read it before, do it. I promise you wont regret it.

http://laytreasuresinheaven.com/becoming-a-consecrated-missionary/

March 3, 2014

Recent convert Najay

February 25, 2014

Hello family sorry for the late response i know you were probably on your tippy toes waiting. haha. I have a good reason. Allow me to explain.

So these past few days have been wild. On Sunday after our PEC meeting i saw Sister Preya back in the ward. I was super confused and excited at the same time. She had moved to Nottingham about 3 weeks ago and I thought it was for good. She told us that she was only back for the weekend and was just trying to tidy up her flat. We offered our help for Monday and she accepted. We were thinking that we would only be there for around 3 hours but we were wrong...to say the least. Upon arriving i tried to keep my composure when i saw just how much there was to do. I was trying to keep sister preya calm and thinking that it wasn't too much...but it was. I hid out in a room and called the Other elders in our ward asking if they wanted to receive blessings...haha they agreed to come help. All 6 of us elders were there from about 9 am to 8 pm working non stop. And we still weren't finished. We came back today arriving at about 7 in the morning. We told Preya that we were coming but not till about 9 but we came earlier. I knew that she was working with a deadline and i wanted to make sure that we finished. So the first day when the lady came she was rude to put it simply. She was trying to boss preya around and was successful with it due to her language barrier. So I helped her to communicate and figure out what we needed to improve to bring the flat up to par with there expectations. As i was making my list of items to do I couldn't help but feel like a chip off the old block (Making lists just like dad). However, I get that feeling an awful lot these days. When she arrived back today to inspect she was kind of speechless. there was a few things that she complained about but things that we couldn't do anything about. Like burns in the carpet from the iron and stuff. I'm not just telling you this story for fun but there is a purpose to it. Mainly I learned a lot from the experience. Whenever Preya would relieve bad news she would worry and tear up for a second, then remind herself that whatever happens is in the Lords hands. Her example of faith has always been and will forever be an example to me. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains then shes for sure capable of moving continents. We prayed more the past 2 days then i think we have ever before. It was such a wonderful experience. Truly the Lord had a hand in the outcome of the work. Sister Preya couldn't help but weep upon departing. We waved her goodbye at the bus stop. If there is anyone with a more powerful and moving testimony, I have yet to hear it. She is a saint. She trusts in the Lord and recognizes that blessings come in his timing and not when its convenient for her.  

But along with being super spiritual there was also some super funny things that happened. So for starters there is a missionary in our ward who is new. This is his first transfer. He is from saint George and is a handy man to say the least. You could call him Bob the builder....because i do. So there was a panel that needed replacing on the bathtub and he came to me exclaiming that he had the perfect fix. He told me that he had found a spare piece of wood that is not being used in a closet and its a perfect fit for the shower front. The only thing it needed was a little piece cut off from the corner. Thinking of it now, everyone came to meet seeking approval and advice on what to do. No idea why but they did. Even sister Preya was asking what to do. haha. So asking what he should do and me not really paying attention being in the middle of painting I told him that if its not being used for anything to go ahead and use it. So he did. We didn't have tools of any kind so he cut the board with a serrated kitchen knife. hahaha. it was so funny but worked! Innovative! We were doing one final walk through to make sure everything was in order before the inspection and we realized that we still needed to fasten a closet door. Remembering that I had put it just inside the closet I grabbed the screw driver and went to put it on. I looked inside. The closet was empty. I was so confused. Then i realized that the "spare piece of wood that was not going to be used" was the door to the closet! That Numbskull! hahaha it was super funny and thankfully she didn't notice when inspecting. Also her son Ovi fell down the stairs when carrying a plastic tote. I looked over the railing to see him upside down on the stairs all discombobulated. It was soooo funny. He wasn't injured. 

In other news interviews are coming up this Friday and i am so excited. I always love speaking with president one on one. Also the training are so good always. Speaking of training I gave one in district meeting a few weeks ago that was pretty funny and useful for most. As missionaries a lot of our time is spent talking with people. As such we need to know how to have a normal conversation. For some reason missionaries think that when the badge goes on the personality goes out the window and robot mode engages. So my training was titled, "TTi'm not awkward." TTI stands for Teach Testify Invite for those of you who are not familiar. I dont know why missionaries think its unworthy to have fun while doing missionary work because its not. I think about Gordon B. Hinckleys quote on life and apply it to the missionary work. He said "Life is to be enjoyed not endured." So too with missionary work. The sooner missionaries realize that we are talking to real people and not some number disguised as a baptismal statistic, as Elder Holland so boldly stated, the sooner they will realize that the mission really is the best time ever. I have never been so happy. I have never laughed so much. I meet CHARACTERS/KINGDOM BUILDERS daily. I love it. I love what I do. I use my personality. I like to make people laugh and crazy thing is, people like to laugh. I love people from the Caribbean islands. They are a hoot. For some reason they don't like Indians and tell them to go back to there own country. Which i always laugh at because for some reason the fact they they are immigrants here as well never strikes them. 

Anyways family, I wish i had pictures to send but ovi deleted them all. I love you and hope you're all doing well! Write me! I love hearing from you!

Elder Evans