2 Area's 2 phones 2 miracles

So this week I said that we had 2 miracles. The truth is we have way more than 2 miracles but these ones are special. Elder Agafonov and I have to work in 2 different wards, Eastkilbrid and Motherwell. We have 2 phones so that is nice for the work. 

The start of the week was really good. We had zone interview training and that was really good. I gave training on 12 week (extra hour for comp study for new missionaries). haha it was funny because me and my trainee right when we got together agreed that 12 week was a waste of time so we just worked through that time. After studying for my training and talking to my leaders about it I have repented haha. It really is a great program to help missionaries get prepared. Abraham Lincoln said if he had 7 hours to chop down a tree, he would sharpen the ax for 4 hours and chop it down for the rest. We need to be in tune with the spirit and know how to lead a lesson if our work is going to make a difference in people's lives.

Ever since I have been in the Motherwell area I have really wanted to work hard with the members. I think that this ward has crazy crazy potential. It just takes them seeing their capacity and working for this growth. I think that this week was a lot of groundwork in member missionary work. I am excited to see many doors open for the missionary work here.

Miracle 1

Friday we went to Eastkilbride. It was our first  time there since Elder Agafonov and I have been together. It was really good. We were able to teach a referral from the Zone Leaders. His name is Scot and he is 28. He came from a really rough part of Glasgow. While he was growing up it was the city with the highest murder rates in the world. He has some scars and some bad habits but he wants a new life. He wants something better than what he has got. When we met with him it was a good lesson lead by Elder Agafonov. He has accepted a date to be baptized on the 18th of September. If you could all pray for him that would be great. Eastkilbride is also ready to explode. Because of other missionaries work we have 2 people with a date there and we have only been there twice.

Miracle 2

Elder Agafonov was getting his Endowment in July when he ran into a temple worker who served in Scotland 55 years earlier. They talked about the mission and before he left the temple worker called him back and wrote on a sticky note a name and a place. He said, "If by chance you are ever here you should look these people up." Last week he was looking in his Journal and this note was in there. I looked at it and it said HAMILTON. No way! I told him that it is in our area. We found out they were members and so we called them right away and set a time to meet them on Saturday. President Donaldson had revelation to send Elder Agafonov here for his first area and I know there is always a purpose behind revelation. We got there and told them the story. It ended up being the people that this temple worker Baptized while he was here. we were so excited. When we kept talking we found out that they have a friend that has shown interest in the gospel who is from the same city Elder Agafonov is from in Ukraine. We knew what we had to do. So we are getting a Russian Book of Mormon and having him write his testimony in it and having them give it to this friend of theirs. I love this. What a miracle.

We were in Eastkilbride for Sunday this week. All the members there were so excited to have us. We hope we can help them out. They have had a hard time in attendance these last several years so we are hoping to get stuff going. This will only happen if missionaries and members work together. I hope that all of you can have a missionary experience this week. If you don't run into one then go find one. The missionaries need you members and the Lord needs you even more. I love you all. See you later.

Elder Thayne

Not to pick favorites but I like ours a lot better. I have been in both and while the architecture is cool in the one, it is missing something. I love the church. This is the Eastkilbride building.

You Have a Wonderful Face!

I was Role Playing with my Ukrainian companion today and whenever he says Faith it sounds like he is saying face.  So he was pretending I was an investigator and he said, "You have a great Face, a wonderful face and someday your face will grow." haha it was so funny I couldn't keep a straight face.

So this last week has been crazy. so crazy!!! oh man let me tell you what happened. On Monday we had a great family home evening with the Dunconsons. They are a Family that was less active about 5 years ago but now they are the most solid people in the world. Their family is so Mormon I love it. We played Blind mans buff so that was fun.

Tuesday: we had an exchange with our District leader, Elder Parsons. He is probably the best District leader I have seen. I was with his trainee Elder Kroes. He is from Germany. We Basically found for 7 hours. It was so much fun though because we would dare each other to stop people by saying funny things. 

Wednesday: we were able to teach our Jehovah witness friend, Denver. He is a good guy but he lacks commitment. if you could pray for him that would be brilliant. The rest of the day was just runing around and finding.

Thursday: We had a Book of Mormon study class where we read my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon, Ether 12. It was a spiritual meeting. Early that day we went into a hospital to put our name on a clergy list for people in who want to talk to us.  We started talking to a catholic Chaplin and he took a Book of Mormon and is having us back next week to talk about his reading, that will be fun.

Saturday: was my favorite day. We taught William, an investigator who has known the church is true for 5 years but can't be baptized because his wife wont sign the paper. If you could pray that her heart will be softened. We also taught Chris a recent convert who is having a hard time. The lesson with him was so spiritual. He felt Gods love for sure and said he needs to start coming back to church. The end of the day we taught the Mitchell's. They are a less active family who want to come back. Their daughter Elle isn't Baptized and the father wants to get active and ready so he can Baptize her.

Sunday was great. I gave a talk on scripture power and we had a dinner appointment with a less active.

Life is good. I love this church. I love this gospel. Keep it real my friends. 

Elder Thayne

this is me and Elder Ahafonov

 

Strawberry milk, chocolate milk and banana milk.

Ha, No Time

So I love Motherwell. I think that he member missionary work is going to take off here. My trainee is named Elder Ahafonov. He is the first Ukrainian missionary to ever serve in either Scotland or Ireland. He is energetic and wants to work hard, which is great. 

This area is huge and it is weird to Whitewash because there was so much that the missionaries before me (elder Plewe and Elder Davis) were doing so it is hard to juggle all of their activities without knowing anything. I have faith that if I work hard the Lord will help me out. The ward is awesome. I think that the work will explode here.

Lots of great things happening. Love you all. 

Elder Thayne

On our way to Glasgow with a sunset

My street 

Elder Thayne and Elder Ahafonov

My Library

Motherwell

Oh wow. This week has been amazing. Let me tell you about it.

Tuesday: we had District Meeting in Mullingar with the Zone Leaders. It was  spiritual one for sure. I had a weird feeling in the middle of it that it would be the last time I lead a district meeting. It was kind of sad. We Blitzed Mullingar, all six of us, and had massive success. We set up 10 appointments for the next couple days. It was a great Blitz. That night we played Bean Boozled. I is a game where you spin a will and it lands on a color and you have to eat that color of bean. The color could be 2 flavors though. It can either be good or bad. Chocolate or dog food. haha it was way fun. It was going slow so I thought I would speed it up and eat all of the rotten eggs at once. There was about 20 jelly beans flavored like rotten eggs in my mouth. It was one of the worst experiences ever.

Wednesday: we were able to find and give a blessing to the same man in the hospital. He is going to pull through I know it.

Thursday: We ran into the guy who needed money to pay for his rent. We asked him if he checked his washer for the money and he did. He was amazed and he asked if we could teach him!! haha yeah we can. We then drove to Carrick on Shannon were we chapped (tracked) a bit and then GQ'd (street  contacted) Everyone seemed strangely rude. We looked at each other and were like...."this is a trial, that means a blessing is going to come." we felt impressed to go the park. We talked to this guy on the bench who we taught. It was really spiritual. He has been off drugs for 8 weeks and is looking to change his life. He is coming to church. One more thing. He is a Piano player and Sligo doesn't have a pianist. He said he would love to come to church and play the Piano for us. haha he is golden.

Friday: Went finding and got some really cool potentials and several appointments made. Then got a random call from the AP's saying I am leaving early, before moves call and going to Motherwell. I am going to be training again. I love training so much. I won't be district leader anymore. It is the first time In a year so it will be weird getting use to. I really have loved it and I have learned so much. I will always be grateful to my dad who was always trying to take this day dreaming, shy, and very white personality boy and trying to teach him leadership. I love him for it. Anyway we left to Dublin that night.

Saturday: found in Dublin City Center which is amazing. I love it. Then went to a Baptismal service of 2 of Gods Children. They didn't have a Pianist so I played the top hand of the songs they had picked and then just played songs I new while the 2 were getting changed. We drove up through Belfast that night and stayed with the Zone Leaders There (Elder Cook and Elder Stoker [amazing missionaries]).

Sunday: left on the fairy and took a bus to Glasgow. On the way I sat next to this really cool guy who just needs the gospel. He is 20 and plays the saxophone. He has a Book of Mormon back home and he promises he will read the full thing and pray about it. Missed church and it was the first week of my mission I couldn't renew my covenants. saw a lot of old mission buddies: Elder Powell, Parkinson, Stevens. Went GQing in Glasgow city center....that was awesome. Then I traveled down to Mother well That night to spend the night with the people me and my trainee are white washing....my other son Elder Plewe! oh man I love Elder Plewe. He is an amazing missionary. If you could see the change you wouldn't believe it. It was so much fun catching up and talking about Portadown till late into the night.

This Gospel is true people! I love life. I am so happy to be here. Going to do everything I can in Motherwell. Love you.Elder Thayne

Elder Plewe and Me, He was my first trainee in Portadown.

Elder Davis and Me

Sheep

Something only Talmage, Eli and Grayson would get.

We Don't Cut Corners

So This last week has been awesome. We have been working as hard as we can. On Tuesday we were informed that we will be getting a car!!!!! oh yeah. I am so excited about that. I think that the work is really going to start picking up here because we have been hitting Sligo really hard so it will be good to go out to new places for a change. 

This week has been better than last week. We have taught a little more. I think the people we meet just need more commitment. We do have some good investigators that have so much potential so we are going to help them feel the spirit so they are inspired to do more. I will have a good lesson to tell you about next week. You can count on that.

So we had All Ireland on Friday. Elder Herbertson of the seventy came. It was awesome. It was really inspiring. He talked to us about how we want to view our missions. He asked us if we are going to regret it because we cut corners. just earlier that day I got a package from my family with a shirt inside from the Lehi Bakery and it said, "We don't cut corners." It was talking about the square donuts, but I am taking it another way.

Saturday was awesome. We were able to find a lot and teach a bit. The entire day we felt like we were on cloud 9. We just felt so happy doing missionary work. We looked at it and asked ourselves why? It is because we were doing what we could and then we gave the Lord the rest. While we can't decide if people will accept us. We can decide how we will act. Sorry this isn't that exciting of an email. I love you all. Hope you are doing good. See you later.

Elder Thayne

This week is looking really good. We are expecting a miracle...a couple miracles and I can't wait to tell you about them.

So these are some pictures from last P-day, we hiked Knock Narea

Horse on a hill.

Stairway to Heaven

Most BEAUTIFUL mission in the world.

Elder Harvey and me

Elder Forward, Corcoran, Kinville and me​

Short as a leprechaun‏

Sorry everyone this is going to be really short. in short I loved this week. I feel like there weren't too many results as far as teaching but we did a lot of things for the branch and other people. Able to give blessings and service and a lot of finding. Elder Harvey and I are happy. I love life. It is the best. 

Elder Thayne

Football pitch 5v5. this is where we bike to for morning exercise!

Cookies and shirts for everyone in the branch. We don't have any free time.

Sweet sunset. Looks like a pillar of light.

Prayer groups and singing

This last week has been awesome. We have been working hard and we are seeing a lot of good things happening. We were able to teach a lot this last week. We met with David again and he seemed to really like to learn about the plan of salvation. If you can keep him in your prayers that would be great.

Elder Giles and I went on exchanges. He is awesome.  He is going to be a stunt man for movies someday. He has lived in America, the UK and Germany. He is a great finder. We went on a little adventure trying to find this country house. We finally found it after a lot of dead ends and asking for help. We taught this little kid and the lesson was awesome!! He went up to his dad and said, "Dad they didn't do anything you said they would. They just were helping me learn about God." haha I love how honest kids are. The Father felt pretty embarrassed.

Even though I am 2 1/2 hours away from any other missionaries I am loving Sligo. This place is great. We are working hard and seeing a lot of cool miracles. This place is full of people who want to bash. It is pretty funny. I have learned how to deal with them. I defend the church with my testimony and they can't penetrate it. I show them the love that god wants them to feel. and they start to ask sincere questions. it is awesome. 

Cool story: Elder Harvey is a beast. There was a guy who came up to us asking for 3 euro for his rent. We really didn't have any money. He seemed desperate. Elder Harvey out of no where just said, "go check your washing machine and your problem will be solved." the guy seemed to be amazed at first. He kept saying "are you serious?" Elder Harvey would just tell him to go check it. It was so cool. We saw him later on and his is still in his flat so it looks like Elder Harvey just prophesied. church is true.

I love this church. Repentance is what I preach. Converts are who I Baptized. Keep it real my friends. 

Elder Thayne

this is my district Elder Atkinson, Elder Giles, Elder Harvey, Elder Thayne

The rest is my stomping ground.