"I know that it doesn't matter if the person you try to teach doesn't commit to anything, it just matters if you're doing your best at inviting them to come unto christ."

Monday 27 February 2012

Weekly Update 27 Feb 2012

Hello!

It has been such a wonderful week here! The weather is picking up, the sun is shining and the gospel is true. What more could you need? I am in love with St. Helens it is a wonderful place with such great members. I am always full, because they always feed us here. So alot of this week I was in Southport on exchange with the District Leader I love exchanges because you learn so much and you really are able to grow from other missionaries. Southport seems like a great area, but I only have a few names engraved on my heart and St. Helens is one of those names. We had an alright Pancake day, without any actual pancakes. I woke up had exercise and tried to cook some pancakes, and apart from the fact that I forgot how to make pancakes it just wasn't the right time to cook pancakes, there just seems to be a time and a place for everything, as we learn in the scriptures, it wasn't the time to cook pancakes, I love cooking!

We had so much success on our exchange we received two new investigators in two hours, it was the best! I love teaching on the spot lessons to people on the streets, I would say it is one of the best feelings in the world just knowing that Heavenly Father has prepared people who are will just to sit down for a few minutes to know how they can strengthen there family, or what ever they may be interested in. This week seems to be the week were we just find and teach people on the streets, we found a man staring at an old ward memorial, he was a young man in his late 20s and we talked for a little bit, he was searching for answers and we provided him with those answers. We taught him about baptism and he asked us the best question of the week! He said "When can I get Baptized?" Isn't that just the best question every missionary wants there investigators to ask, because when he asked that... well just try and imagine my smile.

This week I've really been working on my urgency and I've discovered a great secret, "The greatest secrets of missionary work is work", when I run from door to door knocking on them... It really keeps my mind focused on the next one, there is no homesickness, there is no sadness only... helping the next person I can. This gospel is so true.


What a wonderful time it is to be a missionary!

Love,

Elder Sapaden
P.S Check out my profile: mormon.org/me/87DG/Jared

Monday 20 February 2012

Weekly Update 20 Feb 2012

Hello!

What a week it has been, and what a great time it is to be a missionary! We are just seeing explosions (not the real kind, metaphorically speaking) in the work. I started this last preparations day taking care of my scriptures by making a purple case for them, it is beautiful, it took me a whole preparation day to stitch together, but it is done... and it is living proof that Elders can sow! Besides that we are still having a great time and we are still a great companionship that likes to cook for each other. I got a rice cooker now are we are working not just the miracles on the street, not just miracles in the church, but miracles in the Kitchen! We are eating well.

We had a pretty good Valentines day too, those Valentines days are pretty sad as a missionary... but there will always be more of those after my mission, plus we had a member who fed us Stake, it was absolutely gorgeous! We haven't had a particularly busy week this week, we had zone conference at Chorley at the Temple site and we had to wake up at 4:30am, when you are an outsider looking in at missionary work, you think that 6:30am is early... it doesn't compare to these days. But being around other missionaries for that great day is a spiritual uplift for the whole week, just like when Alma and his brethren had met together again, you rejoice when you hear about the successes that missionaries have had. Recently two missionaries in our mission were featured on the One Show. It's an exciting time to be a missionary in England.

After that day we just have times where we are just so excited to work, I think I ran after everyone the day after because it is such a great message that we share with others. In Jeremiah it talks about how the Lord calls various people to help him in his work, he calls "Fishers" but he also calls "Hunters", I think I'm more of a hunter. I love acting, not being acted upon and will find the one that we are looking forward, and just last night we got in a door! It still happens when we find the elect we teach them!

I love you all and you are such great examples!


What a wonderful time it is to be a missionary!

Love,

Elder Sapaden

Also be sure, don't forget to check out my Mormon Profile and tell me what you think: http://mormon.org/me/87DG/Jared/

Monday 13 February 2012

Weekly Update 13 February 2012


Hello Everyone!

It has been another great week in this part of the Vineyard! It is around day 240ish on my mission and now this just seems like normal life. But... I need to tell you: I love the Scousers and the Americans! Obviously that is quite a profound statement, but we have some American in our ward and woah! Amazing! If I ever want food I know where to go. They did this Cafe Rio style salad, a mexican style wrap and it sufficeth me to say, "I was filled". I'm quite the eater, but for something to actually fill me up, it's a miracle. I love the St. Helens ward member, this is just the Gem of the Mission, I think it just can't get any better but it seems to have only gotten better and better. Much has happened and since wednesday we have come up for some great ideas to implement this transfer.

I'll tell you of one such idea that started yesterday, we were teaching an investigator yesterday after Church, he is the Boyfriend of a church member and we were teaching Faith, I had done some preparation, but not too much was done, we had a game plan and I just wanted Elder Raybould to gauge our investigators personality and so I asked an open question: "What is Faith?" and so we went around, sharing what we thought faith is and then suddenly it was my turn to share what faith was, and for some reason my mind went blank. I didn't panic, I don't panic anymore but so I started singing: "Faith is Knowing the sun will rise lighting each new day, Faith is knowing the lord will hear my prayer each time I pray, Faith is like a little seed, when planted it will grow, Faith is a swelling within my heart each time I'm right I know" It was quite the experience, it just seems to be that... I've gotten alot Cheesier on my mission, because I sang the song and did some little hand actions too! But I bet my investigator will never forget what Faith is!

It was an inspired idea and now I am working on: the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Musical... there happens to be a song on Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End! so well... I have a Ukulele and it's a new style of teaching that my investigators will remember the principles we teach as long as they pay attention to the words. I'm also working on the Restoration the Musical and a Plan of Salvation one too! Elder Raybould is learning the Ukulele so I can do the Hand signals because he refuses to do the hand signals... I can just picture families in St. Helens saying "remember that missionary who pulled out his Ukulele and taught us about faith?" I'm confident St. Helens won't forget an Elder Sapaden anytime soon.

I love the week I've just had, because when your companion leaves you, you are pretty much in charge of the area because the other missionary doesn't know anything about the area yet, It astounds you how much you learn about one area in 6 weeks.
Miracles are still happening! We taught another lesson out in a park this week, Heavenly Father just seems to be showering us with blessings!

Oh, and why I love Scousers...they are just the nicest people on earth, sure they speak a little different but when you forget that they are quite the people, they'll always stop and talk!

Love,

Elder Sapaden

P.S I was given the nickname "St. Helens' ray of Sunshine!" I like it, because the sun doesn't shine here, so I suppose someone needs to make it shine! I feel like the Cheesiest happy bunny ever! Oh wow, I'm happy... the gospel is so true.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Weekly Update 08 February 2012



Hi Everyone!

So much has gone on since I last e-mailed, the reason why I'm e-mailing on Wednesday this week is because well it's transfer week and Elder Peterson got transferred! My new companions name is Elder Raybould and I worked with him for a little bit while I was in Rochdale, but now he is my companion again for the next 6 weeks.

So, you know how I usually try to describe how I feel with words, metaphors, visual imagery... well I've decided to take a picture this week to show you how I kind of feel. Doesn't it just scream... happy?
This week has been pretty all over the place.

An amazing experience I had this week is an Exchange with a younger missionary, it was the first time I had ever worked with a younger missionary so I didn't know what to expect, Elder Peterson went to Manchester with another Chinese speaking Elder so they could go and teach Chinese people, it was great... whilst I was left with the Younger missionary in St. Helens. We took the train to Manchester Piccadilly. Here is a great experience: we were waiting for the train back to St. Helens from Manchester Piccadilly, I was making a couple of phone calls, the younger missionary I was with just keeps on saying "I'm hungry" over and over and over again to me in Hushed whispers. We were in a fairly crowded area and it was a busy evening where people were taking the trains back home after work. When halfway through a phone call this man approaches me with a Chocolate bar, a Dairy Milk nutty one it's a pretty big one too, he hands me the bar and says "Hello" to me in Chinese because I was wearing my Chinese badge, I was stunned open mouthed and halfway through this phonecall with a member in St. Helens. He wishes us a good evening and then walks away. I gave the Chocolate bar to this younger missionary I was with to keep him quiet and after I finished the phone call we try and find him, but we lost him through the crowd. Since when do angels just stop by and give you Chocolate? It works for me. I like that Miracle.

Anyhow, we had to go and create a mormon.org profile, check mine out: http://mormon.org/me/87DG/Jared/ or just type in Jared Sapaden on Mormon.org

Anyway we went back two days later and I got Elder Peterson back I bumped into Elder Miranda again it was great! We met at Bolton because a Chinese investigator was getting baptised in Bolton it was fabulous. It has gotten considerably colder here aswell, but you find ways to keep warm, like running after people to share the gospel with them... it's always the best way.

Who wants to hear another miracle... so I was working with this younger missionary and this one day I was with him, we just happened to have no lessons planned for that day so we spend almost all our time talking to people on busses, on the streets and knocking on there doors. On this day I had planned to stop by an investigator called Janet. After lunch we headed straight to Janets home to fill some time and try and teach a lesson. Then I feel a distinct impression to stop, "Stop... Elder Sapaden, you need to talk to that man" so I did, well as soon as I looked at him he said "tell me something about Jesus" if people start out talking to you and start like that, you would think it wouldn't be the best conversation, but it was marvelous, he said "tell me something about Jesus" and so I did, he introduced himself like he knew me and I introduced myself like I knew him, it was a weird feeling, like you knew each other before somewhere it was amazing, he listened to what I said and we had a lesson right there and then, we taught him on the spot a lesson just there on the streets, we prayed together and we saw him the next day in his home... his name is Paul... and he is a miracle!

It was Elder Peterson and my last few days together, we have been best friends and St. Helens is now on a whole new level of missionary work, it started that we had no investigators to begin with and now it's a gold mine! Elder Raybould and I are going to get alon great together he has done alot of music theory himself and knows quite a bit, he is a percusionist, aswell as a great missionary.

Talk to you all on Monday as normal next week.

Love,

Elder Sapaden