To set the scene, of where I am right now, it's cold, it's wet, it's dark... It's Liverpool! But I love it!
Hi Everyone!
Since Thursday, I have been in the blessed place of Liverpool, we have Zone - Conference and a missionary activity on Tuesday where we are going to climb Mount Snowden. So as the Manx people say "We are across" It sure is strange to be a missionary not in your assigned proselyting area, I find once you are out of your area, your internal compass gets mixed up, your lifestyle changes and despite how good of a missionary you are, you feel slightly uncomfortable. But it is quite an experience. We even got to go to Liverpool Ward yesterday.
This week has been a great week, over on the Isle of Man we have had the great opportunity to help out at Youth Camp! It was so exciting! I loved it so much, especially seeing all the youth of my previous area St. Helens I love the youth there. I am just so compatible with that ward, I could see myself there, anyhow... it was so great we sacrificed our Preparation Day to help them set up camp, to set up
tents and all that stuff.
We have an investigator Dated for Baptism, it feels different comparing myself to where I was and who I am now, the same joy that perhaps I would have felt during one of the great moments in my life, whether that was lifting a heavier weight at the Gym or my friends just doing something I couldn't stop laughing or smiling about is exceeded now by the Joy that someone is preparing for Baptism.
I called our investigator yesterday (it's quite an event calling the Isle of Man from England because it is international calling rates so we don't call too much) and she told us that she felt like we were her sons, I told her that she could also be my second mother, I love this work and just the attachments and relationships we develop, I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Here is something that has just made my week aswell, we are teaching our Chinese investigator still, his name is Jim and he is just so sacred. He is so ready, we have only been teaching him for a couple of
weeks now, this last lesson we decided to ask him where he is at in the Book of Mormon, I was just expecting in my head, "okay, perhaps a Chapter a day, he would be around 2 Nephi, stuck in the Isiah chapters somewhere" He told us he was in Moroni 7, he pointed out that he liked verses 44-45 which were some of my favourite verses aswell. It was just something I hadn't expected, I don't know if my faith wasn't sufficient enough or if I was just too logical about it all, but we called him earlier that morning to confirm the appointment, and he answered in his broken english "I've been up reading the Book" I had
supposed that had meant he read some of the Book, which was good. In fact, I now think he was telling us he spend all night just not wanting to stop, having a true desire and attitude, he just wanted to "feast" which is Great!
The Phillipino work, is just going great here too! We are still teaching Bryan, our Filipino investigator, he is just still has the desire to change, we are just waiting for him to act.
It's also very different how your opnions change whilst you are on your mission, just like your tastes change over time, my desires really have aswell, a testament of this is my hair, before my mission
I loved having long hair, it was the "thing" I looked so good I was proud and perhaps at some points very lifted up in vanity but now I have a "Four" which, I fully don't know what that means but it's pretty short and neat.
We had so many investigators that went to Youth camp, it was just fantastic! One even bore his testimony and said "I know this Church is true" for a missionary to hear that, it is sweeter and just more
pleasant and greater than any eloquence of the grandest Symphony, or the most "show off" Concerto. It's a feeling you can't descrive until you feel it. It's one of the reasons I love being a missionary... If I
was a normal person (missionaries aren't normal people!) I probably wouldn't have felt that in my lifetime.
My time in Liverpool has just been so good, I love the people here, I love their accent... If I could come home with a scouse accent I would be happy. We have just had so many miracles here. Yesterday, I decided to Phone a member of the Liverpool Ward randomly, and she told us her husband wasn't a member and is not too keen on having missionaries around, she discussed it with her husband again and it just seemed, on the one day, which happened to be the day I called, it was just one of the rare times he was happy to have us over, the miracle continues as he says he loves piano and football, I love piano and my companion loves football, we had a great relationship with him, I met her daughter at the Youth camp on the Isle of Man and I knew her a little bit already and so it was great to see her and get to know her better! I love how Heavenly Father just puts you in the right place at the right time and ultimately that's my favourite part about being a missionary!
Love,
Elder Sapaden
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