Chapel Tours and Driving Test

Hey up lads and lasses, blokes and bloketts! This week was full of going to Leeds and taking a U.K. driving test, a miracle of knocking on someone's door, chapel tours for days, and Helen's big day is this Saturday.

     

So I'll get the bad news out of the way, even though the good defiantly out weighs the bad this week. I went to Leeds this Friday to take my Theory test (the written portion of the U.K. Driving test) and I failed by one question! I was pretty bummed, but I will be taking it again in a couple of weeks and will definitely ace it! It was my first time walking the streets in Leeds. It's defiantly bigger than Newcastle and York. There were loads of people everywhere... haha.

     

A quick miracle story to share with you guys. Elder Selk and I didn't have any appointments in the evening time, so we decided to knock on people's doors. This is a very bad time to knock and people are usually unreceptive, but I felt good about doing it for some reason. We knocked on this lasses door and she was very friendly to us. She told us how she didn't believe in religion because there are so many different views and people take advantage of it. She said that she hoped something was out there and wanted to know what was true. We weren't able to go in and teach her because of our mission rule, that if a single female is in her home alone we can't go inside, so we told her that we would come by and share more tomorrow. We gave her a Book of Mormon, got her number, and headed off. The next day we came back to teach her with the senior couple missionaries in our ward, the Burnetts, and she told us that she was already on page 20 in the Book of Mormon!! We were so excited and since then we've given her a chapel tour and have plans to introduce her to more members at church and help her get to Helen's baptism!!

     

On the same day of our chapel tour with that lass, we gave a chapel tour to a woman named Fola. She's from Nigeria. She sounds very promising. I found a nice quote from a friend most people know. Like the famous Yoda once said, "Do or do not, there is no try." You can do anything that you set your mind to! Cheers!

-Elder Holyoak 

Snow and Italian food

Eh up mate! It's been another smashin' week in the land where the sun don't shine. It's been a proper snowy week over here. We watched the announcement of the new First Presidency, ate Fettuccini Alfredo, had interviews, and gave away a French Book of Mormon. 

     

This week we got the chance to watch the new First Presidency announcement and the open questions that the public asked them. It was really interesting hearing the responses and it reminded me of how us missionaries are constantly put on the spot to answer difficult questions. When we were heading back to our flat afterwards, we saw a snow storm and watched cars that were sliding and slipping all around. Elder Selk and I were laughing our heads of seeing these 2 wheel drive cars drive on slippery roads.

     

On Friday, we went to the Barnsley's home again and he asked us in advanced what we wanted him to make us. So naturally I asked if he could make Fettuccini Alfredo, and boy did he! It was delicious!! Brother Barnsley definitely goes down as one of the legendary members in my mission.... haha.

     

We gave away a French Book of Mormon! There's a woman we are teaching who is from Congo that's speaks French. So we brought a member in the ward that speaks French with us to help teach her and it's been going pretty well. Helen is doing really well too! Her baptismal date has moved back to the 3rd of February and she is more than exited! 

Hope everyone was a good week.

-Elder Holyoak

Brother Barnsley's delicious meal

IRN BRU

Here's another Wakefield update mate! Elder Selk tried Iron Brew for the first time, we watched Thomas S. Monson's funeral, I tried a Halal Fatayer, and went on exchange with Elders Walker and Clain!

     

Eh up mate! I'm getting pretty adjusted into good old Wakey. At the start of the week, I felt a bit poorly, but I was still able to go on an exchange with Elder Clain in Dewsbury. He's from a French colony near Madagascar and is a pretty cool bloke. His first language is French and he lived in France for a while. Dewsbury is a really cool area. It neighbors our Wakefield area. One of the pros of the area is that it has loads of delicious Middle Eastern food. I tried my first Fatayer. It's similar to a calzone and very delicious, especially with kebab meat. One of the cons of the area is that it has loads of people of the Muslim faith, which makes it really hard to talk to people that are already so set in their ways. They're lovely people, but very unreceptive to the gospel. So yeah, overall it was an ace exchange.

     

Elder Selk tried his first Iron Brew. His reaction is in the video attached.... haha. We've had a really good week. On the missionary side of things, Helen and her children are doing super good! They came to church again and we should be holding her baptismal interview this coming week. Phil is another man we are teaching. He has been meeting with the missionaries for a while and just recently came to church again, which was exciting! 

     

We were also able to watch the Funeral of Thomas S. Monson. It was a fantastic funeral service. It's amazing how polar opposite the secular world's view is on  funeral services compared to people of faith. Most people that we meet who have recently been to a funeral, are miserable and hopeless. After watching this funeral service, I felt uplifted and hopeful! President Monson left a legacy and will be missed. 

     

I also went on exchange with Elder Walker. On our exchange, I didn't realize that it was his year mark. We were talking about how fast the mission goes by and I realized that I'm approaching my 18 month mark. Mental! It's gonna be a good one. Love you guys have a good week cheers!

-Helder Holyoak

Elder Clain

Halal Fatayer (giant calzone)

Our church house

   

Elder Selk trying Iron Brew

American Food in Wakefield

Hey peeps! Here's my update from Shakey Wakey, I mean Wakefield. My first week here has been full of Zone Conference, American food with a familiar face, and a family at church.

     

This week has been full of so many new things: a new companion, a new area and a new flat! Wakefield is a pretty nice city. Being back down in Yorkshire, reminds me of the start of my mission when I served in York.  People's accents here are a bit different though. It was really strange not hearing the Geordie accent anymore the first couple of days. The accents here are more of a mix between a Yorkshire accent and a Manchester accent. 

     

We had Zone Conference this week and I was able to see loads of familiar faces that I haven't seen in a while, because I was serving in the North part of the Mission.  It was a very motivating meeting to be a part of and I'm stoked on coconuts for 2018!

     

A funny experience happened this week. We were heading off to a tea appointment and Elder Selk was telling me how one of the members loves Utah and bought a lot of his clothes at South Town mall.  I know small world, but it doesn't stop there! That rang a bell.... I was like, hold on, I remember last summer when I was in Bridlington knocking doors and a man pulled over and told me that same thing. And sure enough, it was the same guy.... haha! It was hilarious explaining it to him because he remembered. He fed us some amazing bacon burgers that tasted pretty American. He also provided Ranch and fry sauce that I haven't had in ages!! It was a good time and I'm proud to be an American.... haha.

     

At church this Sunday, we were able to see a woman named Helen and her 2 kids come to church. Elder Selk told me that they came last week, and now they came again! That was a really cool miracle. Overall, it was a canny week in the kingdom and I can tell that it's gonna be a good one this transfer. Have a good Juan, cheers!

-Elder Holyoak

Elder Shaffer

Ping Pong in the new flat

Goodbye North Shields!

Happy New Year, what's up everyone! There's a lot of new stuff going on out here in the North Tyneside. We had some Chinese food with the legend Chris, Boxing Day deals, put your seat-belts on, and I'm moving mate!!

     

Heyuh, so first off the biggest news is that I moved down to Wakefield! I actually left this morning by train and am no longer in Geordie Land. I've been emergency transferred down to the Huddersfield zone (just south of Leeds).  I'm right at the bottom of Yorkshire. It's exciting!! My new companion is Elder Selk from Riverton and he went to Olympus!

     

My last week in North Shields was ace and I'm gonna miss this place so much! I feel so blessed, because the people were so receptive to the Gospel during my time there. I've made so many memories that I'll never forget. Towards the end of the week, it was a lot of see yous laters (because I don't like goodbyes). We received some 'kushdee' Chinese food from the legend Chris McGrath! I know that he's reading this at the very moment, so thanks again Chris for having us over haha! I'm so excited to keep hearing back from him throughout my life and seeing him continue growing in the Gospel!!

     

On Boxing Day, which is the 26th of December here in England and it's similar to Black Friday, we got some good deals. For example, a discounted suit jacket from £90 to £27, an automatic watch for a lot cheaper and Elder Manaligod pulled the trigger on some Clarks shoes that were super discounted.

     

Some more big news, I've been asked to work on getting my U.K. drivers license! I've already posted the registration forms and should be closer to getting it. It's a long process! It's going to be exciting, because I haven't driven in almost a year and a half now and that was on the right side of the road, not the left! I've heard that it takes a little getting used to switching to the other side and adjusting to the narrower streets, but I'm up for the challenge.

     

2017 was such an amazing year! It's brilliant to look back on the different challenges that I've faced on my mission and seeing how they have allowed me to grow into a better person. I know that there's no way that I would have been able to do what I've done on my mission without the help of the Savior. I know I don't normally quote scriptures in my updates, but I felt like sharing this one. It's from Alma 26:12 it says, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." 

       

I know that many more miracles will occur in 2018. It's like 4th Quarter in an American Football game. A lot of the game has been played, but right now it's game time! I'm sure my dad will appreciate that.... haha. 

     

Happy New Years again! I will keep yous all posted on what goes on over here, but till then, I'll talk to yous a later. Cheers!

-Elder Holyoak

 Lynsey's baptism

North Shields Goodbyes