May 18, 2015

This week has been pretty eventful,

First of All we had Zone Interview Training and that was amazing. I love it when We are given such specific instruction, and When We are able to be chastened to become much better as a mission. It is literally my favourite thing. We learnt specifically about The importance of Prayer in Conversion as well as teaching people not lessons, to be able to help those we teach to progress and know the Lord truly Loves them. These are some of the basics we learn as we come to the Missionary Training Centre and I love how our mission is reverting back to the basics, It reminds me when Canada Montreal Mission was doing the same thing before I came out, I went to a zone meeting and the focus of that Meeting was to Get stronger with Planning for people, where they had a role play on Planning effectively for our friends but Also We were each given a laminated version of the back of Preach My Gospel and Instructed to all do 12 weeks again to revert back to the basic principles of missionary work, It was so amazing, And to see that the mission I am in now is reverting back to them as well has been so great for me. As you are out for so long, you lend up getting into ruts abit, doing the same things all the time, but It was amazing to revert back to the basics, as we are called to teach so simply that noone can misunderstand that with which we teach. It really was a testimony builder to me. During Interviews I got to talk to president about several things and Ask for his advice on many, One of these things I was wondering about was How do I correct others if I see them not being obedient. ( I asked this as I thought as being Junior I couldn't really correct them) But I was told We all have the right to correct and help one another, I also learnt abit about the importance of your companions, not only Are you with them to teach but, you need to use your companion for all things, I told of some of my weaknesses and asked for advice to fix them and I was advised to ask my companion for that specific help, I love how in the white handbook it says that " companions support each other in all aspects of the work"  I  think that is something to always remember as this work is so important and we truly need each other to be able to prosper and Our companions are always around us and if they can help us they can help us know when we are doing something we shouldn't however small it may be.

We also had two exchanges this week, One was with Elder Martin, and the other was with Elder Taylor. Many things happened this week on Monday with Elder Martin, we got to be together since our birthday was the following day, but we saw a nice lady named Tar and taught her about tithing, It was a very powerful lesson as elder Martin and I bore testimony and worked well together, as well as a YSA named Rachel was there and bore her testimony and shared the importance of paying tithing with a real life example from her life, so that was really powerful, We then went Street contacting and tracting, It was fun, While street contacting we met a cool guy, So that was good and he agreed to meet up sometime.

The following day was my Birthday. It was a grand time, We were on exchange with Dumbarton Team, It was a busy day, So Elder Taylor and I went to a place called Luss it is on Loch Lomond, it was a beautiful place, Unfortunately there weren't many people who lived there but many tourists, While there we ran into many Canadians and Americans, we also met two lasses from Edinburgh and invited them to read the Book of Mormon, so they both took one, That was amazing. As we were heading back I got some ice cream as my own little treat , and A duck stole it from me. It was quite funny.  We then were bussing back and I lended up losing our phone, AHH!!!!!!! However as we were on the train I went over to this person and asked if she could call our phone and lucky for us she let us and the bus driver had found it, The day was fun and then we had to backtrack and meet up with the bus driver again several hours later , but We got the phone back and we got a new contact.  It was a fun day, Then we get back to the flat and Elder Starr and Christensen had gotten some ice cream and put candles in it, I walked into the house and 22 - Taylor Swift was playing, It was funny. They played it only for a minute which was good, Then afterwards we all went to Dumbarton for a guitar night, it was interesting.

We also got to say goodbye to Margaux this week as she is heading back to France after being here for 3 months, which is sad but It's part of life.

While we were chapping doors Friday night, we chapped into a friend of ours that we see in town and her family invited us in, as we were talking to her, her friend, ( who used to meet with us) came in as well and was involved in the discussion, Her daughter came in and was abit shy at first but then loved us after like 10 minutes, and her sons were going out to party but were asking us about our faith as well, It was a great experience to be able to bear testimony so Powerfully and share how we have come to know the truthfulness of all these things. The son was saying he was a catholic, he was baptised but doesn't really beleive then he was asking me about what makes us two different, So I told him. We talked about how We don't drink, or smoke or do drugs and the reason we don't do those things is because We were commanded not to, but Also it was because We prayed about it and found out from the power of the Holy ghost that those things are told to stay away from so that the spirit may teach us.  As we left we said a prayer, and our friend Vanessa thanked us for the prayer and told us how much greater she felt after our visit. It was very powerful.

It was a powerful week, We met our friend Ian as well, he is cool, We were doing a bit of tool time to set up appointments and we called him and he told us he could meet in twen minutes, we then proceeded to go to Tescos and we taught him the Restoration, He told us he doesn't believe there is a God, but he doesn't know for sure and he would like to know if there is. He talked with us about how science doesnt explain how twins can have impressions that one of them is hurt even when they live across the world, so He does believe there could be something, and he is very open to learning which is amazing. We will be seeing him again shortly.

The work is picking up in Oban, right in time for moves calls which happen this Sunday, and just so you know, If one of us gets moved this week, We won't have the chance to e-mail next week as it is a bank holiday and the  library will be closed and Wednesday would be us moving. So I will try to come on for 5 minutes on the Monday if possible to Announce what is happening but If not, I will talk to you in 2 weeks. Love you All

Thanks for the prayers

I know this church is true, I just want you to know that.
Jesus is the Christ and he does Lead this church, I am his representative and I am greatful to be so.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

My prayers are poured out in memory of you, and I am greatly blessed by all of your prayers as well. Thank you.




Elder James T Kirk Reece
Scotland/ Ireland Mission

Cool tree.

Restoration of Luss (symbolizing restoration of the gospel)