So it was awesome talking to you yesterday face to face. 0 more Skype sessions! Crazy isn't it?
I loved it, just chatting and talking, much more able to communicate that way than typing it all. If only we could do it every week. But it would probably negatively impact some missionaries (for example, my companion...he was just so trunky afterwards and he still has over a year left). Oh well. It was truly great!
So let's see, what did I not talk about yesterday...oh yeah, Mark. He's a new investigator we have.
We met him a few weeks ago on the street, gave him a Book of Mormon, and he was super excited.
We had been trying to set up appointments with him, but something would always come up.
But we finally met him in the park, and walked to the church (like two minutes away) and showed him around. He LOVED the baptismal font, he even said "I wish the Catholic church did this!" And even alluded to wanting to do it himself.
We didn't really have a proper lesson, we just kinda walked around the church showing him the classrooms and paintings and stuff, so we didn't directly invite him to be baptised, but I think he'll be ready quite soon.
We had a good discussion about Joseph Smith when he saw the First Vision painting.
He is very open minded, and although he's a Catholic he sometimes goes to other churches just to see what they're like. A real truth seeker, so we're excited to teach him more.
On Wednesday we helped Billy and Kim move some furniture out of their house. We took the couch, bed, and a mattress out and left it by the curb for garbage pickup. It was a good reminder to me that I'm not here for my own self, but to help others.
Thursday we did a "Pamphlet Drop!"
It was pretty cool; the young men, a few volunteers from priesthood and ourselves went to a neighborhood that Elder Spackman and I prayerfully chose, and we all just put Restoration pamphlets in the letterboxes. And we will go and tract the neighborhood this week and follow up, and see if anyone read it, and if anyone is interested.
It was a great idea brought up by our Ward Mission Leader, a way to get the members involved in the work but without the fear of having to approach people.
Afterward, the young men leaders had me (Elder Spackman and his temporary companion took longer than us) teach a bit about how to actually do a door approach. The leaders gave some insights from their missions as well, and they asked the young men what things they would talk about on the doorstep.
We have some solid, prepared young men in our ward who will be great missionaries some day.
I'm excited to see if we can find someone who is searching for truth in life from the pamphlet drop activity!
On Friday we went to Dublin for an All-Ireland conference. It was great to see some of the missionaries I haven't seen in ages, like Elder Elliott from the MTC, Elder Yates from Logan, Elder Meyer my companion in Dundee, and a few others.
The instruction was great too. Our stake president came down and addressed us all, and he reminded me how great a privilege it is to be on a mission, and inspired me to be more dedicated. Sometimes I forget that I AM one of those missionaries that I used to always look up to.
Once you get in the swing of it it just feels like ordinary life, but taking a step back, I'm just like, "Wow, I'm a missionary right now!"
We also had stake conference too, so the talks there were very good. All about hastening the work, as has been the usual the past year or so.
On Saturday there was a huge celebration in Lisburn. There was a pipe band competition, a parade, and loads of people in the park by our house.
We happened to be walking through it on our way to go tract a neighborhood, but we agreed that many people wouldn't be home because of all the festivities. So instead we hung around, watched the happenings, and tried to talk to some people while doing so.
We should have snuck into the parade and walked through passing out pamphlets and Books of Mormon and pass-along cards.
It was cool though, the pipe bands were all warming up at the same time so everywhere we looked there were guys and girls in kilts all playing the bagpipes, and it was awesome. Then it started raining really hard. Typical!
We're still working with the same investigators, making progress bit by bit...slowly but surely...Chris (17 year old), the Grahams (Nelson and Kathleen the oldies, and their son Ashley), David Curry (The "dry Mormon" who is afraid of crowds and new people) and yeah. I have a lot of hope for Mark, since he has a lot of fresh potential.
I'm not one who is big on "Dropping" investigators, because it seems a bit un-Christlike and impatient. So I usually hold on to them until THEY decide they don't want to be taught anymore.
Who knows what will happen if and when I leave the area. Which could be next week? We will find out Monday morning who stays and who goes. I'd like to go to be honest. I like Lisburn, but I'd like to experience a couple more areas before I head home.
Anyway, that was a bit shorter than usual, but I'm sure the Skype time yesterday made up for it sufficiently.
Love you all! Till we meet again! Till the work is done!
Elder Burt
On the road to Dublin for a conference
A painting by a local Northern Irish friend
