Elder Austin's Journal Letters from January 13th - January 19, 2014

Monday, January 13, 2014

It was a fairly regular P-day, nothing special.  We emailed and shopped in the town.  I got some new shoes today because my other shoes are worn down, so I'll use those for working and the new ones for meetings.  I got them for L25, so that's like $30-$35, so it was a good deal!  We played football for a little bit, then got ready for the day.  We saw some less-actives, then saw our recent convert.  Nothing too special, but a relaxing day nonetheless.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Today, we had our district meeting then went back and did some service for some members.  We loaded a bunch of rubbish on a trailer, then took it to the dump.  Two other missionaries came down for half the day, so we went on little exchanges.  I went with my district leader and we went to go talk to people on the street.  It was raining pretty hard, so not a lot of people wanted to stop and talk.  I got completely soaked!  It was fun though.  My companion is going through some rough times though.  He's really homesick so I think that's making him physically sick.  It's getting so bad that President Brown has to keep an eye on him.  It's tough to work with someone like that, but sometimes we gotta take what's given to us.  I'm really glad that I don't get homesick, that would be the worst!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

This morning was very successful.  We found two people who seemed interested in what we had to share.  Hopefully, we can teach them soon.  Nothing too exciting happened throughout the rest of the day.  The McLean's fed us and it was delicious as usual.  Sister McLean wants your enchilada recipe so she can make it for me.  She said she loves Mexican food, that's unusual for Scotland.  Oh well, I'm not complaining!  She probably won't make it as good as you do. 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

It wasn't that great of a day today.  We did a lot of traveling, but nothing came out of it.  We did get some return appointments so it wasn't a complete waste.  We were tracting during a rain storm so I am soaked!  We ran into an atheist kid and all he wanted to do was argue and bash.  I had an answer and a response to every question and concern he had, but I didn't say them.  I knew it would get us no where so I just walked away.  People like that irritate me but I don't let it get under my skin.

Friday, January 17, 2014

It was a pretty good day for us.  We had lunch with a member whom I love to death.  Her name is Eileen McGilvery and she is recently re-activated.  I don't know why, but she reminds me of Weez.  I think that's why I love her so much.  We had dinner with another member family named the Corrigans and they are just hilarious.  We ended the day with a good lesson on the Plan of Salvation to a part-member family.  I love teaching it and testifying of eternal families.  It's my favorite.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Holy Cow, it has been a day full of food.  For breakfast, an investigator fed us black pudding and sausage.  Some members gave us lunch in the afternoon, and to top it all off, our recent convert fed us a traditional Scottish dinner.  It consisted of haggis and tatties (potatoes).  Haggis is lamb guts and brains (yes, seriously).  It's actually quite good, you should try it!  Every Saturday, we go see an 88-year-old member named Peter at the old folks home.  He's so funny and I love him to death.  I asked him to give me some advice on life and this is what he said, "You are indeed lucky to know what you know."  How true is that?  I love Peter and I love the knowledge of the gospel that I have.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Well church attendance increased by two!  We had 16 there today.  It's an improvement, but it still needs some work.  The Stake President came down and spoke, so that was really good.  Are you in the Old Testament in Sunday School?  I love starting with Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price.  They go further than our basic knowledge of the gospel.  I know so much about the gospel that I can't help but want to go deeper.  That's why I miss the temple so much.  I love learning and I just want to know more!  Oh and our moves call was tonight.  I'm staying in Stranraer, but I'm getting a new companion.  His name is Elder Urbieta.  He's been out in the mission longer than me, but I'm still the senior companion.  I get to meet him on Wednesday.

Love you - Elder Austin

Elder Austin's Journal Letters from January 7 - January 12, 2014

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Today, we had district meeting in a city named Ayr (Air).  It's an hour up the coast and the drive is absolutely beautiful.  There's a sister in our district named Sister Moore.  She's from Queen Creek, but unfortunately she is not related to Jim or Scott Moore.  Anyways, after district meeting we went on exchanges.  I was with Elder McAllister here in Stranraer.  We didn't each many lessons but we made some good progress with potentials.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

We exchanged back in the morning and had lunch with Sister McGillvery, a less-active member.  She's very knowledgeable in the gospel.  The only reason she went less-active is because she got into anti-mormon material, especially about the temple ceremony.  She's starting to come back though which makes me happy.  Later tonight we had a good FHE with a part-member family.  The mother is a member, but the daughter isn't.  She wants to be baptized though!  Hopefully we can make something happen.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Today was a really productive day.  We saw a lot of good people and taught a lot of good lessons.  I think our hard work is finally paying off.  Hopefully it can continue to progress in this area!  The highlight is the lesson we had with the Corrigan family.  The mother and one of the daughters is active. The two other daughters and the husband is not.  We're focusing on the husband because he just recently went less-active.  We taught about family prayer and how it makes a difference.  It ended with everyone saying a prayer and the Spirit was strong.  The women were in tears and you could tell the husband was impacted.  It's nights like these that remind me of why I serve.  I love seeing families come together.

Friday, January 10, 2014

This morning we had an intense lesson with an English family.  The husband had a college degree in Religion, so it got really deep and intellectual.  I could wheel and deal with him for a while, but there was a point where I lost him.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and some stuff to study.  Hopefully a miracle happens there.  Tonight we saw our Czech investigator named Martin and he's going through a rough time.  We shared some scriptures with him in his Czech Book of Mormon that left him in tears.  Hopefully, we can continue to teach him, he needs it big time.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Today we saw and taught a lot of less-active members.  It was very productive and we taught quite a few lessons.  Our branch president came down tonight and met with one of our investigators.  She is our top investigator, but she's been living with someone so she can't get baptized.  But she's deciding to marry this guy, so if she progresses she can get baptized now.  That made me very happy.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

It was a day full of disappointments.  We were supposed to have about four investigators at church today, but none of them showed up.  Ahh, agency sucks sometimes!  Haha is that bad to say?  Oh well, we did have some less-actives there which is always good.  I don't know if you guys are doing the same thing, but we're studying the Old Testament in Sunday School starting with Moses and Abraham. I find that part of the scriptures very interesting.

We ran into a couple of mean atheists today while knocking on doors.  I'm grateful for my patience and calm temper that I've developed.  My companion got heated so I had to calm him down.  Like Dad always said, "nothing gets accomplished when you're emotional."  I also proved a born-again Christian about how her doctrine conflicts with the teachings of the Bible, I probably shouldn't have, but I was kind of fed up with her.  I don't think she appreciated that because she slammed the door shut.  I'm really knowledgable in the scriptures now, but I have to be careful sometimes so I don't offend people.  I'm grateful for our church actually making sense and following the scriptures.

Love you!

Elder Austin's Journal Letters from December 30th - January 5, 2014

Monday, December 30, 2013

Today didn't go as we planned to.  We had four appointments today and only one went through.  If I wasn't out as long as I have been, I probably wouldn't be too happy, but I'm grateful for the missionary and the person that the Lord has helped me become.  I don't think my companion has learned what I have because he wasn't too happy.  He was getting discouraged, so I tried to be an example of diligence and positivity.  After, we taught two great lessons on the street so that lifted his spirits!  Mission complete!

Tuesday, December 31. 2013

Well we're doing a lot of finding today to try and re-establish a teaching pool so that's always interesting.  One guy answered the door in his underwear …..gross!  We taught a nice old man named John the plan of salvation.  It's hard teaching that sometimes because not everyone understands it, but it needs to be done!  It was a relatively short day because we are required to be in our flats by 6 p.m.  We've got to avoid those drunk people!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy Hogmanay!  (Hog-moan-ay)  Only in Scotland do they say that instead of New Year.  Well we weren't allowed to proselyte today so we spent the whole day with members.  We went and had lunch with members.  We went and had lunch with a Nigerian family named the Obasuyi's.  They're less-active because they go to the Catholic Church.  The only reason they got baptized was because the Elders kind of forced them to.  They're still really nice to us and feed us all the time.  They made chicken and rice, it was so good!  We spent the rest of the day at the McLeans.  They fed us dinner and we had a good time.  We were allowed to watch movies/T.V. today, so guess what we watched?   COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!  The McLeans get ESPN all the way over here, so we watched a couple of bowl games.  It was awesome.  We had a pretty good Hogmanay.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Today was an example of not teaching any lessons, but still making progress.  We've been doing a lot of finding, so we're knocking on a lot of doors.  We didn't teach any lessons, but we got a few potential investigators out of it. The McRobb's fed us tonight and it was really good.  They have a 27 year old son who's not married yet so I told them about Erin.  Hey, you never know what will happen!  Other than that nothing really happened but it wasn't a bad day at all!!

Friday, January 3, 2014

We had zone interview training today in Irvine.  That's where our leaders give us instruction while we have individual interviews with the President.  I love President Brown!!  He's so loving and all he wants to do is help.  We had a good conversation and he told me I was doing good!  I was happy to hear that.  It was good to catch up with other missionaries too.  I got to see Elder Benesch!!  We always laugh and share inside jokes when we see each other.  I can tell he's changed a lot.  We both tell each other how weird it is seeing how we were back in college to where we are now.  We both have changed for the better!  I saw my other mission friends and receive some good training from my leaders.  Today was a great day!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Holy cow, so many things happened today, it was crazy!  We were tracting today and I talked to a young mother of a beautiful family.  We talked for a little bit about families and I bore one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever given about how families come together through the gospel.  I watched her facial expressions and she felt the Spirit, I knew it!  It was so thick, you could almost feel it with your hands.  But then, she said she didn't want to change her ways.  My heart dropped and she closed the door.  I was so distraught for the rest of the day.  I don't know why it bugged me so much, but I couldn't wrap my head around it.  She felt the Spirit and I know that for a fact, but she turned away from it.  Are people THAT stubborn nowadays?  Ugh, it's still bothering me.  We also found out that one of our investigators is pregnant out of wedlock and another investigator has dementia.  So many things are happening at once and I am physically, emotionally and more importantly spiritually drained of all my energy.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Unfortunately, we only had 9 people at church today.  I can tell that the branch morale is getting low.  People are dropping left and right and they know we don't have solid investigators.  The branch is on the verge of closing down and the members know it.  They're depending on us to build up the branch.  My companion is having trouble with homesickness, so it's almost as if the fate of this branch is in my hands.  I'm working harder than I ever had and my stress level is through the roof.  I'm trying my best to help this branch live.  I will do it Mom, I just need a lot of help from the Lord.

Letter dated December 24, 2013

Hey Mom!

I'm sorry I've been slacking on my letters lately.  I've been so busy and tired, but that's no excuse, I'll do better!  So I got a cool little idea to catch you up to speed on where I am and the people in this branch.  It's easy since there aren't many people.  Here is the Stranraer Branch!

Nancy & Dvid McLean:  I call them my Scottish parents.  They take care of us and feed us all the time.  We're going to their house for Christmas and that's where I'll Skype you!  They want to meet you so you'll see them on Christmas.  They are so great, I love them!

Duncan & Mary McRobb:  Dun is in his 80's and Mary is in her 60's, weird right?  I love them anyways.  Duncan is so funny and the two of them are hilarious!  They bicker back and forth like you and Dad.  They feed us a lot too, so they're great too.  Mary keeps saying she's gonna call you.  I don't know how she'll do that but hey who knows.

The Corrigan Family:  The Corrigans have three daughters, but only one comes to church.  The father is starting to go less active too, so we're trying to stop that.  They feed us once a week, but it's so awkward over there.  One of the less-active girls is very inappropriate and tries to flirt with me.  It's easy to stay away from her though because she's not good-looking.  The family is struggling, but we are doing our best to keep them together.

President McKecknie:  He is our Branch President, but he lives two hours away.  Since our branch is so small the church is calling people from other wards.  Let me tell you he is the most prideful person I have ever met.  He talks himself up and puts others down.  He is teaching me patience. 

Mac & Eileen McGillvery:  Eileen is semi-active but Mac is not.  Eileen is super smart and knowledgeable in the gospel.  She got into some anti-Mormon material about the temple so she is starting to go less-active.  She's awesome though, we celebrated Boxing Day with her (the day after Christmas).  Mac is a big civil war fan so we talk a lot about it.  They are Great!

I'm still getting to know most of the branch, but these are the people I know the most!  I'm gonna start doing journal letters again next week.  Keep your letters coming! 

Have a good week!  Love you!    Elder Austin