"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."

Thursday 5 January 2012

Weekly Update 05 January 2012

Hello!

Hello everyone, it has been quite a while... we were supposed to e-mail on Monday but the library was shut and we have been busy ever since so now it's thursday and it's been quite a while. We have had some amazing success in St. Helens, it's funny although it isn't too far from Rochdale, it really feels like it. St. Helens feels like it's in a whole different country. So I'm in Liverpool territory and everyone just speaks a little bit... different. It's great though, I love talking to people from Liverpool, and they are always up for a talk. In fact, I've never met more people who want to talk than people from Liverpool. It's great having a Chinese speaking companion, now I can hold my own in a conversation with a Chinese person, you wouldn't believe how receptive they are to the Gospel.

St. Helens is also a place for getting fed, Dinner appointments every night! This could be the best area in England for getting fed. Dinner appointments every day, President must have known I eat alot, otherwise I would have no hope here.

We had a great New year, as missionaries in the England Manchester Mission we are allowed to watch animated childrens movies and play the Wii for these few days, so we spent it with members just eating alot watching Ice Age 2, the Road to El Dorado, playing some Wii Sports and eating some more! What more could you wish for?
We were allowed to stay up and welcome in the new year, it was weird seeing "1-1-2012" on my watch, it was strange knowing that I'm going to spend the whole of 2012 on my mission, although I wouldn't rather be anywhere else, plus if the world really ends in "2012" i'll be okay. Not that I'm thinking like that.

As part of my new years list of changes, I've started picking back up the weights. It's amazing the missionary flat in St. Helens has lot of weights perhaps even more than 80kg and a big bar, it just feels like home when you know you can always pick up the wieghts after a long day of work. Elder Peterson used to play American football so he is working out with me, it really is a unifying thing when you have a companion that you can work out with, it's not like one of you is working out and your companion is staring at you whilst eating Pizza, trust me, I know.

I think I've instantly fell in love with St. Helens and St. Helens has fallen in love with me, wait... can I say that as a missionary? Yes... I do love St. Helens. It was great going to church the first day of 2012 and since you're a new in the area you have to bear your testimony, get introduced, all that good stuff. It felt like I was at home again, it felt like I belong. During visiting members this week they all told me how they felt I just instantly fit in. It's a weird thing, but it's perfect.

I do have worries that I will pick up the scouse accent. I don't think it'll happen, since having so many American companions, everyone truely believes I'm American, after church a sister came up to me and said "so... what part of the states are you from?" to which I quickly replied "London" I don't think she understood. St. Helens has a different feel to it than many other Areas it's fairly big and to get to our district meetings we usually take busses, but in this area, it fairly spread out so we have to get alot of trains sometimes.

Yesterday, I spent sometime in the heart of liverpool because Elder Peterson was at the mission home planning some Chinese activity with alot of the other Chinese missionaries. It was a place called Tuebrook, one of Elder Knights old areas, it was great finding there almost 90% of the people we spoke to stopped for us, I love people from Liverpool!

Love,

Elder Sapaden

P.S Be sure to e-mail me back before Monday because I'll be e-mailing on Monday again, and send me my uklele as soon as possible, love you!

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