October 31, 2011

This week we have been really busy with multiple different meetings and our work schedule still being different to accommodate Elder Esposito. Today because it is Halloween we worked three hours in the morning so we would stay in tonight between 6 and 9 to stay away from all of the crazy people with Fireworks. They don't really celebrate Halloween itself but just want an excuse to use fireworks. That is bad news for missionaries who are walking on the streets of Manchester at night. On Saturday they have something called Guy Fawkes night and they have massive bonfires to commemorate his death. So once again we will stay in that night and do weekly planning then.

Elder Esposito and I have been able to have a good week and it all started with last Mondays Zone Conference with President Kopischke. As a companionship after much prayer and contemplation we were able to make a goal of 3 Baptisms by the end of this year. We feel very grateful for the teachings and training that we were given and the invitation to make this goal. We know that as we strive to do all in our power to reach this goal that it will be fulfilled because we received a confirmation that this is the goal that we should have. Right now we have a couple of names to the numbers but we feel we still need to find more people in order to reach this goal.

We had a District leaders council this past week and I absolutely enjoyed the time that we had to come together Council together about the vision and potential of the mission in these upcoming months and even years. I know all of the District Leaders that I spoke to were very happy with the time that we had to get together and receive a greater understanding of what we need to do as leaders and as well what things we might want to change in the mission. I feel that everyone was very open and willing to express their feelings and because of that trust we were able to gain a greater feel of what everyone else was thinking. Some ideas were different and even conflicted with some of my own, but Elder Cannon told me the other day that in a relationship if the two sides agree all the time then you don't need one of them. :) So different thoughts and ideas are good. Change is the mother of all Growth.

Something that Sister Preston mentioned on Friday was about Singing in church and how important it was for our investigators to feel the spirit. I decided to sing even louder and with more joy this Sunday because sometimes the YSA ward lacks enthusiasm in their songs. We had an investigator their named linkon from Bangladesh who later told us that his favorite part was singing the Hymns and that he felt the spirit so strongly while we were singing. He said that he had never felt like that before in his life. He has been here in England for 2 months and said that that day at church was his best in England thus far!! Something else that was fantastic was his enthusiasm when we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon in Bengali. It am extremely grateful for the church and the ability we have with Gods help to translate the Book of Mormon into all languages of the world so everyone can receive it in their own tongue. How incredible!!

The work is still different right now, but Elder Esposito is still here so that is all that matters at the moment. Yesterday he told me he was going to go to Milan again but by the end of the day we had talked and he had changed his mind again, so the roller-coaster continues. From all of our lengthy conversations our relationship has grown a lot and his English is much better. Always look at the positives right? I am still worried about him leaving because he is always thinking about it. We have a new missionary Training Camp this week which I hope will help him to feel more comfortable with his role here right now.