Well being in the UK, football (soccer) is a big deal. Everyone watches the World Cup. Everyone talks about it. So I'm trying to make the most out of it.
We're not allowed to watch TV, but sometimes if we go to a member's house and they have a World Cup match on
I'll watch for a tiny wee bit :) sue me!
It's quite easy to follow; I just have to ask any member for the day's scores and they almost always know.
Spain, the defending World Cup champions, are already out of the competition. As is England. But USA is doing very well! I figured out that if we win or draw against Germany, we'll be through to the next round. And even if we lose, we still have a chance at getting through!
I've been filling out a little results chart I got from a member. Lots of fun being surrounded by football fans and talking about it, while my all-American companion has no idea what's going on.
Let's see, what else.
After we emailed last Monday, we went and played basketball at an outdoor court with the Portadown elders, and Jason and Robert Howse (members) it was super hot!
I think I got a bit of heat exhaustion, but I got over it after taking a shower, drinking water and Gatorade, eating some fruit, and laying down in shorts and a t-shirt before we went out to proselyte in the evening.
Elder Spackman's lasted longer; he was feeling quite out of it when we went to a dinner appointment at the Howses' at 6.
I was on exchange with Elder McDonald on Tuesday. He served in Lisburn about a year ago, and he is going home in two weeks, so we spent most of the time going to visit members he had known and loved.
It was very fun; I need to do more visiting of active members. Sometimes I get into the trap of just wanting to find and teach investigators and less-actives and shun anything that doesn't directly contribute to that. But members are essential. And they are fun!
When Elder Spackman got back from his exchange the next day, he was sick to his stomach. And he has been practically all week.
There's been tons of sickness between us for the past two transfers. It's probably been one of my least productive times so far in my mission.
Oh well. I'm hoping for a new area, just to have a fresh start to give it my all for the last quarter of my mission.
Later in the week we gave a priesthood blessing to an investigator's daughter.
She had a tumor removed recently that they thought might be cancerous, so David (who has investigated on and off for YEARS and his siblings all joined the church and moved to USA and Canada) wanted us to give her a blessing.
But when we got there on the day he scheduled, they had just gotten the results that it was not cancer. So we just gave an overall blessing of health and comfort.
Hopefully she and her mom and dad all felt the spirit and it sparks something.
I think if his family took an interest in the church, he'd be able to get over his fear of going to church if he had someone to go with. The daughter (20's) did ask a lot of questions, and she seemed interested so we'll see if we can teach her as well in the future.
We had an appointment with Silvana on Saturday. We confirmed it the night before, and arranged a man from the ward (Joint Teach) to come with us. And she didn't answer. We knocked three times, called her phone, and could hear it ringing inside the house, and no answer.
She called us about an hour later, after our Joint Teach had gone home and Elder Spackman had gone to bed to try and recover from his sickness.
She was drunk, and angrily asked why we didn't come. I told her we did, and she said we were liars and we didn't knock on her door, but her neighbor's. It was definitely hers though. Oh well. We'll see how she ends up this week.
Mom and dad, I know you say I'm very patient and Christlike for teaching alcoholics but I'm starting to lose my patience with her!
So that's this week. Lots of time spent in our flat. I took little naps, cooked, cleaned, and read Ensigns while Elder Spackman was sick in bed. It will be weird to go back to a solid 10am-9pm hard-working day after this spell of sickness.
Thanks for the love, prayers, and support dear family!
Love,
Spencer Ashcraft Burt
Elder for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Scotland/Ireland Mission
51 Spylaw Road
Edinburgh EH10 5BP
Scotland
United Kingdom
Photo:
2 Nephi 12:2
Jason and Robert Howse, and their pet snake
