Simply said, this transfer is unique because this is the first time on my mission that everything stays the same. Every transfer I have either lost or gained a companion and of course sometimes moved areas. There is a first for everything and now it has come. I will be staying with Elder Okeson here in Liverpool.
To be honest I thought I would be leaving Liverpool and was going to be quite sad to go. But seeing as I am staying I don't have to worry about saying goodbye to all of the amazing Chinese Recent Converts and Investigators. I am very much looking forward to the next six weeks here in Liverpool. We have a lot going on and there is much progress to be made with the Chinese students that we are teaching right now. The next six weeks also gives Elder Okeson and I more time to gain an even stronger relationship.
Both Elder Okeson and I feel that the Chinese Activity that took place here in Liverpool was a very good activity. We did an opening song and prayer, followed by two recent converts conversion stories. Then we did a tree of life activity, we set up a obstacle course with a rope leading to the desired destination but they had to do it blind-folded and listen to different voices trying to tell them the right or wrong way to go. To be honest it was quite hard and they were exhausted when it was done but they loved it! We hope they understood the principle at the end as we explained it from the Book of Mormon. Then we ended with more recent convert testimonies afterwhich we had some great snack food and had time to talk then we all went home. It was really good. I was very excited to see Sun Wei Di again, a Recent Convert from Preston. He is doing really well, he just baptized another Recent Convert and he is seriously thinking about going on a mission after he graduates. Oh what joy missionary work brings, impossible to explain via words.
Despite the few numbers at the activity we feel that it was very successful. Once again, half of those that attended the activity were investigators and some of them even brought friends along. We were a bit disappointed that we had so few people from Liverpool. Because they are students and spring vacation is coming up they have been very busy recently and are hard to pin down for specific times to meet and other activities. We felt that the activity itself the Tree of Life analogy helped them understand more about the importance of God and a plan in this life, so once again, the activity fulfilled its purpose.
Last week I was able to go on exchange with Elder Marjanen and Elder Sapaden. Both of which have amazing talents and great personalities. Elder Sapaden being from London has an understanding of the culture of England and is really able to relate to people. It was funny though because multiple times he would be speaking and then say he is from London and the person we were talking to would get a funny look on their face and say, "your not from London" or "oh, I thought you were American." He didn't quite like it but I thought it was funny. Elder Sapaden always has a big smile on his face and has so much energy to run to catch people or put much animation in his lessons.
Elder Marjanen is also very positive in his outlook but is very different when it comes to how he expresses it. Elder Marjanen has a great strength of thinking before speaking and is always very thoughtful. The questions he asks as well are very Heaven sent questions that help the investigator think. Along with being humble, both of them have a constant desire to improve who they are and the work that they do. I always appreciate the time I have as a leader to go on so many exchanges and be able to learn from missionaries and hopefully in the process help them learn something. I have to say that is the best part about being a Zone Leader, the time I have to work with and get to know the missionaries in the mission.
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