Talmage's Back to the Homeland Mission: New President

Well this last week has been crazy busy haha i don't even know where to start....I got to meet my new Mission President. His name is President Donaldson and he seems awesome. He is super passionate and I can tell he loves us so much. He talked a lot about how this mission is going to be governed by the spirit and how the spirit will be running the mission not the other way around. He told us that in order to have the spirit help us in our choices we need to be sanctified. He said that we need to give up any petty disobedience and set ourselves apart from the world.

Irina was able to go to girls camp and she made a lot of really good friends. She is already so fellow shipped into the ward I have no worries that she will feel like she doesn't have any friends. She is such a good girl and she has been keeping all of her commitments. she believes everything that we have taught her. We went over the interview questions with her and she said that she didn't feel like she knew if Joseph Smith was a prophet, So I asked her to say a prayer right there. She knelt down and said a prayer and she just sat quiet after the prayer for a minute and she got up and said she felt really good. I know that the spirit testified to her that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that what we have said is true. She had her interview and she passed with flying colors.

That night at 7 we were all at the church for Irina's Baptism. We had some great talks on Baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then her big moment came. We got into the water and I had the privilege of preforming the Baptism. She lifted up her leg twice, and one of the times I started to go into the temple mode. I said, "I baptize you for and in behalf...wait" haha yeah I had to start over again but that is ok. Those small mistakes didn't take anything away from the experience. Just looking at her after I could tell she was completely clean, she was the most perfect person on earth at the moment. I know that her baptism was the best decision that she has ever made in her life.

After the Baptism I started to wonder what we were going to do now that we wont be teaching her anymore. I started to think of all of our investigators and I realized that they all have the same potential. Just because we wont be teaching Irina doesn't mean we wont have much to do. we have so much work! and I am looking forward to it so much.

Later on Saturday night Elder Walters and I went out to GQ (Golden question) some people. I then had the feeling that we should try by on of our potentials. Her name in Airisa and she is from Latvia. We got to her house and we talk to her for a bit and we invited her to church. The next morning we saw he show up in the back. We were so excited we went up and started to talk to her after the meeting. She went back home after sacrament but she came back 5 minutes later with her 4 year old daughter. They both went to nursery and I'm pretty sure they liked it. We taught he the Restoration on Sunday night and the spirit was so apparent. she was just sitting quietly and I could tell she was feeling it. She told us a lot about her life and what she was looking for. When we were teaching her she said that she feels really happy. We then extended the soft invitation to be baptized. She said she will be baptized if she came to know that it is true! Man it was one of the best experiences I have had on my mission. I know that the Lord put us in Airisa's path because he loves her and he know how she can be happy.

Later sunday night while we were doing our planning session we got a call from the mission president telling us what the moves will be like. Elder Walters will be the district Leader in Sligo and I will be staying here in Portadown with my new companion, Elder Fassled. From what I here, he is a super hard worker and he is good with people so I cant wait to meet him.

I love this Mission. I know that this church is true. I know that the book of Mormon is the word of God. I have read it more than I ever have in my life while I have been out here and I know that it has brought me closer to God than anything else. I love it and I read from it every day. I love you all, Hope you have a great week, keep it real.

Elder Thayne

Belfast Castle, it is amazing. We were able to go to belfast for one of our P-days so we went to the castle.

That Is Elder Lorecella.

We saw this cool Bridge while on our way to Dublin to meet our new Mission President.

The other pictures are of the Stevensons, Chris and Christy. Christy is from Arizona and Chris is From Scotland. They helped us feel like we were back in America with a nice 4th of July Dinner and they showed us how to do a spinning wheel.